Excessive Pride
by BridgitKiido
Summary: AU. There is more to Maes Hughes than meets the eye... some stuff even he doesn’t know. COMPLETE.
1. I

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent, and am lucky to even be able to write a fanfiction. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

**. I .**

This particular story has no real beginning in recorded history. All that is known is that several hundred years ago, shortly after the founding of Amestris and Xing, a man called "Father" created the first Philosopher's Stone – and shortly after its creation, the first homunculus, Pride. Shortly after, the one named Lust was born, and subsequently, so were the ones called Greed, Envy, Sloth, and Gluttony. However, regardless of how many members in this "family", Pride always remained the most loyal to "Father", and thus was always "Father's" favorite. Even after Greed disassociated himself from "Father" and Wrath was created and given the title of Fuhrer, Pride remained all the more loyal. 

That is, until a certain fateful day. Civilian records would merely mark this day as one of birth; the birth of Trisha Elric's first son, Edward Elric, in Risembool. However, another event occurred that day that not too many beings recall.

Pride, "Father's" favorite homunculus, disappeared.

No one knows exactly what occurred. When questioned on the matter, the one named Envy, who had been with him at the time, only recalled that the carriage they had been riding in towards the country of Ishbal lost control suddenly and fell off a cliff. Himself, Envy had been able to transform into a bird and escape without injury. Pride, however, had been unable to escape the falling vehicle and instead plummeted into the chasm below, not to be heard from again. "Father" became quite gloomy, mourning the loss of his favorite "son", and all of the other homunculi (save Greed, who at this point didn't really care anyway) attempted to go on with their lives without him, and the Ishbal Massacre occurred as originally scheduled. (Gluttony took the most time to get over Pride's "death", but he quickly managed thanks to Lust.)

However, what happened next was completely unexpected and hid itself right under the homunculi's own noses.

* * *

On the outskirts of Central, there ran a small brook. On usual days, this particular black-haired fifteen-year-old boy would avoid the river, as he strongly disliked water in general. And why not? After all, although made of highly inflammable gases, high concentrations of water made flame alchemy highly difficult to perform, and that was exactly what fifteen-year-old Roy Mustang was trying to specialize in. However, today was not a usual day for the young boy, as his childhood friend Gracia Stern had invited him down to the brook side for lunch – to celebrate him becoming the youngest State Alchemist on the record books to date – and he wasn't one to pass up his friend's cooking. 

Spotting his friend with the blanket already spread out, Roy ran faster toward Gracia, waving at her happily from a distance. As he got closer, she smiled and waved back, and when he arrived, panting slightly, Gracia said, "Good morning, Roy. Congratulations on becoming a State Alchemist."

"Thanks, Gracia," Roy said, sitting down on the blanket. "I just want to do as much as I can for Amestris."

"Just don't get killed in the wars," his friend warned him as she unpacked a pair of sandwiches. "The military is quite dangerous, you know."

"With my skills?" Roy replied with a tone indicating that he was kidding around and would indeed be careful.

The two of them then each took a sandwich and poured themselves a glass of lemonade (Roy's mother had sent him with a homemade pitcher full of it). They were just about to begin eating when Roy spotted something out of the corner of his eye floating down the river.

It was a big something, shaped like a human upon a second glance.

Roy stared at the black-haired person floating down the river in shock, and when Gracia noticed and looked towards it as well, she let out a shriek.

The next few minutes were spent with Roy attempting to pull the mysterious person out of the water, all while Gracia was standing in one spot, completely freaked out as her friend pulled the black-haired man – who looked just a little bit older than Roy, although significantly taller – onto the beach.

Not knowing what else to do and in a slight state of panic, Roy checked to see if the unconscious person was breathing. To his relief, he found that yes, he was. He then turned towards Gracia. "Go back to my house and get my father. He'll know what to do. Hurry!"

"Of course," Gracia replied, significantly panicked, before running off.

Roy sat down by the unconscious stranger with one hand on their chest and one squeezing their hand. "You're going to be alright," Roy muttered. "You'll be alright, just hold on."

_

* * *

Where am I?_ the previously unconscious person thought as he attempted to wake up_. I remember falling... but why can't I remember anything before a large fall?_

Upon opening his eyes, he saw a few roughly humanoid, although quite blurry, shapes in his vision. On the left, a male voice said, "Good, you're awake. I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

"Where am I?" he asked weakly, screwing his eyes in an attempt to see clearer. "Who are you? Why are you so blurry? Come to think of it, I'm not even sure who I am, so if you know that, could you please tell me that too?"

A feminine voice on his right replied, "You're at Mustang-san's home, sir. I'm Gracia Stern, and the other boy over there is Roy Mustang."

"What am I doing here?" he asked, still attempting to fix his vision.

"We found you floating down a stream," the voice identified to be Roy stated.

Another, older-sounding male voice continued, "You seem to be suffering from amnesia, which could have easily been caused by a blow to the head of some sort. That would also explain why you're complaining about your eyesight being poor. I've already called a doctor to come check you out; I'm sure he can also set you up with some glasses."

"I'll go get some food ready for our guest," the voice known as Gracia said, and one of the blurry shapes started moving, then stopped. Gracia then said, "It's going to be difficult, calling you by the title of 'our guest' the entire time you're here. I know you don't know your real name, but how about you come up with a name that you like for us to call you by?"

He thought for a moment, and then lay back down on his bed. "How about Maes?" he replied. "Yeah. For some reason, the first name that comes to mind is Maes Hughes. Why don't you call me that?"

_

* * *

Author's Note: Please don't shoot me. As I said up above, it's a manga theory I'm working on. Manga, not anime - I'm fully aware that the anime is finished and goes in a completely separate direction. (If you haven't figured out the basics ofmy theoryyet, shame on you for not paying attention, and fifty lashes with a wet noodle!) Please review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism would be nice, but please no "You are definitely wrong!" or other flame-type reviews without reasons to back up your arguments. If you want to know more about my full theory, ask nicely and if I feel it might not be explained later in the story, I might just answer. 'Kay? Good. So review nicely please! _

EDIT March 27, 2006: Thanks to all my reviewers! Especially JadeiteZ, who was kind enough to point out the redundancy of the part where Maes wakes up. I guess I should look over my chapters more carefully when I upload them, huh... either way, that's fixed now. Thank you so much for pointing that out, and I'm sorry that chapter 2 isn't quite ready yet. I'll have it up as soon as I possibly can, though.


	2. II

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **I'll repeat what I said last chapter: _Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent, and am lucky to even be able to write a fanfiction. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga (and I sort of hope I'm actually right on this), this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

**. II .**

"Father" kept hoping that his favorite "son" was still alive somewhere, sending Sloth to look anywhere he could. Of course, being Sloth, the homunculus never got much actual searching done. Envy attempted to console "Father", explaining that if Pride was, in fact, still alive, he would return sooner or later. After all, it wasn't as though he had become a new Greed or something.

"Father" continued to hope, but with each passing day, that hope dimmed slightly.

* * *

A pair of lamps lit the small room where Maes lay, soundly asleep. Gracia peeked quietly through the doorway to make sure nothing was wrong, and then she entered the room with a bowl of soup for the boy. 

_I wonder where he came from,_ Gracia thought as she set the bowl on the table next to the bed and sat down next to where Maes slept. She hadn't really gotten to give him a good looking-over before, but now she took the opportunity to look closely. His hair, black as the sky on a moonless night, was shorter in the back than in the front, where it almost took a claw-like form. Although he looked young, already a thin layer of fuzzy black hair was growing on his chin as well. His eyes were closed, but she remembered their icy-grey color from when he had been awake. His eyes looked peaceful in his sleep.

He rolled over in his sleep, uncovering his back to the gaze of young Gracia. He wasn't the most muscular man that the girl had ever seen, but somehow, there was something about this boy…

Without even thinking, she ran her hand over the back of Maes' neck, where a layer of black hair allowed no light to piece the surface of the skin. For a moment, she thought she felt something – a raised portion of the skin, almost in the shape of a ring. Odd, his hair had shown no trace of being raised there.

She had little time to contemplate this further, however, as Maes stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes. Looking up and squinting in order to make out who was there, he smiled and said, "You're Gracia-san, right?"

"That's right," Gracia said, also smiling. "I brought you some dinner. It's some soup I made myself."

"Thank you," Maes said, sitting up and allowing Gracia to put the platter with the soup on his lap. Managing to pick up the spoon that was already in the soup, he lifted a small portion to his mouth and ate it. A moment or two later, he smiled. "You're a really good cook, Gracia-san."

All Gracia could do was smile.

* * *

"So all you remember is falling a great distance, as well as your name having something to do with the name "Maes Hughes", huh?" The doctor tapped his pencil on his clipboard in a less-than-amused manner. 

"Yes, sir," Maes responded, fully awake the next morning, although still not strong enough to move too far away from the bed. "That's all I remember." It would be interesting to note that he was currently looking severely to the right of the doctor, toward a large, potted plant in the corner.

The doctor sighed and stood up. "Well, it looks like you were right, Mustang. The boy's definitely got amnesia, as well as severe loss of eyesight quality. Looks like he's going to need some high-prescription glasses." He handed Roy's father a slip of paper. "Here's the name of a nearby ophthalmologist; I'd suggest that you have someone take him there for an appointment."

"Thank you, Doctor," Mr. Mustang said as the doctor left. When the door was closed, he turned to Gracia, who had come over once again that day to look after Maes. "Could you take Maes to this address as soon as you are able, Gracia?"

"Of course, Mustang-san," Gracia said, bowing slightly as she accepted the slip of paper from the man. She then turned to Maes and asked, "Do you feel up to going now?"

"I think I can," Maes replied, "as long as I have someone to lean on."

* * *

_Author's Note: I'd like to thank all three of my reviewers from last chapter - thank you so much for giving me your feedback, it really helps out a lot. Sorry thischapterwas kind of short… I just couldn't figure out exactly how I wanted to phrase the next part, so I'll do that later. Either way, please tell me what you think. I know, it's been rather boring so far... _


	3. III

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **Once again: _Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga (and I sort of hope I'm actually right on this), this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. III .

Envy called in about once every week from Ishbal, and this week was no different. His message was simple: Yes, things in Ishbal are going well; we can probably move into phase two shortly.

No, no clues as to Pride's location have been found.

Really, though, why are we spending all our free time looking for him? You know how loyal he is to you, Father. He'll come back when he's able.

…Of course I care what happens to him. Why wouldn't I?

What? We're waiting longer to start the next phase? Okay, but I already said…

…Yes, of course.

"Father" hung up the phone. He'd have to have a talk with Envy about the evils of sibling rivalry when the fourth sin got home.

* * *

"And there you go, all set," the ophthalmologist said as he made some final adjustments and then at last handed the new pair of glasses over to Maes. "Try them on and see how they work." 

Somewhat nervously, Maes accepted the eyepiece in his hand. He studied it for a moment, squinting at it with his poor eyesight, and then, when he was satisfied, he placed them over his eyes so that it rested just on the bridge of his nose and the backs of his ears.

All at once, his vision became as clear as… well, to use the cliché expression, crystal. He looked around in awe at all the things that had been so blurry before. Even looking at his hand, he noticed a significant difference.

"You look great, Maes." Gracia's happy voice nudged its way into Maes' consciousness, and he turned to look at her. Upon seeing her properly for the first time, his jaw dropped slightly and he blushed heavily until his face turned a deep crimson.

"Gracia-san," Maes said quietly, "you look so beautiful... just like an angel."

All Gracia could do was blush that same shade of red and smile.

* * *

Things continued on their current stream for a few weeks. Maes continued to get stronger (Roy was even surprised at how well his new pair of glasses completed him), and Roy continued to learn the way of the State Alchemist. (Of course, that didn't quite stop him from visiting his alchemy mentor nearly every day.) 

Finally, Maes was fully recovered (well, except for the minor detail that his memory had not quite returned, but that was more or less irrelevant). And because of that fact, he decided to head out on his own.

"Why don't you stay at my house, Maes-san?" Gracia asked as he packed to leave. "My sister and I would love to have a houseguest for a little while."

"No, I've already imposed enough already," Maes replied.

"But where will you stay?"

"I think I'm going to join the military," Maes replied, smiling. "Roy-san seems to be doing well there, and I can work under him and help him out that way. I want to pay all of you back for everything you've done for me the last few weeks."

"Okay, I guess," Gracia replied. "Just stay safe, and be sure to come visit sometime." She quickly scribbled an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Maes, saying, "This is where I live. Please come visit my sister and me sometime."

"I will, don't worry," Maes replied. He then walked out of the Mustang house, on the road to Central.

* * *

The Fuhrer was a busy person, what with the current revolts in Ishbal and everything. That being so, King Bradley usually neglected reading the list of new recruits to the army, assuming that his generals had everything under control. However, this was a special circumstance, and a clue to his "brother's" disappearance could be anywhere. 

Bradley skimmed the list of new recruits to the army. None of the names caught his eye for a while; most of them were Abrams this or Diethel that. He was just about to take a fifteen-or-so minute break when a single name on the paper caught his eye:

_Maes Hughes_

Immediately, the Fuhrer grabbed his phone and dialed his secretary's desk. Upon her quick and cheerful answer, he told her just one thing: Send in the new recruit named Maes Hughes. I'd like to meet him in person.

* * *

_Author's Note: Wow, longer chapter than usual… sort of. Usually I only have three mini-parts, but this one has four. I'm sorry this one took longer than usual, though. I can figure things out from after Ishbal, but I have to get there first, which takes a while. Writer's block is a nasty little thing, and it bites me all too often._

_I'd like to thank my reviewers for this chapter, and don't worry – I _do_ know what I'm doing (more or less). I'm planning on alternating chapters of this story with chapters of _MacBradley_, so chapter 4 should come in about a week or so. Until then, please review!_


	4. IV

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **Once again: _Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. IV .

"Come in," Fuhrer Bradley stated as he heard a knock on his office door.

The door slowly opened, and the curious face of Maes Hughes peeked into the Fuhrer's office. He stepped in slowly and stood up straight, saluting as he said, "You sent for me, Fuhrer sir?"

"At ease," Bradley replied, looking up from his paperwork to look at the newcomer's face, and Maes cautiously withdrew his arm from its position. "So you're Private Hughes, one of the new recruits. I'm quite interested in you."

"I don't know why you would be, sir," Maes replied. "I'm not even sure what skills I possess." Feeling the Fuhrer's gaze shift questioningly towards him, he continued, "I don't remember much about what happened more than a couple weeks ago, sir. However, I felt that joining the military might help me figure things out, as well as help a few people who have helped me."

"Amnesia, huh," Bradley stated, looking back down at his paperwork. After a moment passed, he smiled gently. "Well, that's all right. After all, we don't need to know your life story in the military as long as you are loyal to Amestris."

"May I ask why you called me here, sir?" Maes asked timidly.

Bradley shuffled a small pile of papers on his desk. "Well, it's just that when I was reviewing the list of new recruits to the military academy, your name caught my eye. It just so happens that your name belongs to someone who graduated from the academy several years ago and was a skillful Private until just about a month ago. I called you in here to confirm my suspicions, and they have, indeed, been confirmed. There's no need for you to go through the academy again, although with your amnesia I'd suggest that you at least attend a few lessons with General Haruko, here in Central. And if you'll accept it, I'd be pleased to reinstate you into the military as you were a month ago, except possibly with a heightened rank – Sergeant would do for now, I believe."

"I accept, sir, thank you," Maes stated, saluting once again. Sure, he wasn't quite sure what exactly was going on, but if the Fuhrer claimed that he knew him, then it wasn't all that far-fetched.

"You're dismissed, Sergeant Hughes," Bradley stated, and Maes left the room, slightly more confused than when he entered.

* * *

After making sure no one was within listening distance of his office, Bradley picked up his telephone's receiver and dialed a certain number. The other line rang once, twice, a third time before a female voice responded: Hello? 

Lust, it's Wrath.

You're calling from work, I suppose?

I need to talk to Father right away. It's urgent.

What about? Father doesn't like to be disturbed for anything unimportant.

It's about Pride.

…Silence, followed by a muffled shout of instructions. A minute later, a deep voice responded: Yes, Wrath, what is it?

I've found him.

Where is he?

He's here in Central. He's applied for the military under the pseudonym you gave him – Maes Hughes.

Well, bring him home!

Unfortunately, I cannot. He has amnesia and doesn't remember anything from about when he disappeared.

…A long sigh, followed by silence for a moment. Then: Well, at least he's safe. Keep him under watch. I'll have to contact Envy; now that Pride has been found, we can begin phase 2.

Understood, Father. – He hung up the phone.

* * *

Maes progressed fabulously under Haruko's tutoring. He wasn't the greatest with a gun, but he quickly discovered that he had quite the knack for throwing knives. He also had a knack for spotting things that no one else did, such as misplaced cups of coffee or important clues to a mystery that no one else had noticed (although to him, they were perfectly obvious). Another knack he happened to possess was the ability to slip out of the room without anyone else noticing, such as when two of his superiors were arguing and he didn't want to be around when their bickering turned toward him. He was quickly promoted several times, reaching the rank of Second Lieutenant within two months. 

Meanwhile, Roy continued to be an asset to the military with his own alchemic skills, and although he still had not been promoted past the rank of Major, the rumor mill was circling and the hint that he would reach the rank of Lieutenant Colonel shortly was widespread.

However, that was all before the child in Ishbal was shot.

The military's story is that one of the newer recruits (known by some as Juliet Douglas, although the records will have to be checked over) shot said child by accident. The real story is that the homunculus by the name of Envy transformed into said recruit and shot the child on purpose. Whatever the story, however, the ending was always the same – the Ishballan people rebelled, creating a full-scale war.

Naturally, that meant that Amestris had to send troops into battle. And naturally, that meant that Second Lieutenant Maes Hughes was quickly shipped off to Ishbal to fight in the war. Major Roy Mustang was kept behind, however, since alchemists of the state weren't needed as of yet.

When Gracia Stern heard the news of the war, she immediately became worried, but she remained strong. After all, Maes-san was a strong young man. He would return.

* * *

_Author's Note: Yey, I've finally got that done. And I'm about ready to collapse. Golf is more exhausting than one might expect. That, and the fact that I needed to wait for a translation of chapter 58 to come out so I could make sure I wasn't missing any clues or anything. (Turns out, to avoid spoilers for those who haven't read it, that there's nothing going either way for my theory, but I needed to re-work how I would get Maes into the military itself. After all, if he was to go to the academy now, it would take years.) The next chapter will probably occur after the Ishbal war, since Arakawa-san is starting the main flashbacks from that war in her next few chapters. If any content of those chapters pertains directly to my theory, I'll incorporate it with a flashback into this story._

_The next chapter is probably going to be up after I get a pair of chapters of _MacBradley_ up, since I want to get that one done before exams (I want to show my English teacher the finished product). That pattern will probably continue until I get MacBradley done, at which time I'll work harder on this fic, as well as actually updating one of my other ones…_

_Anyway, sorry this update is so late, and I'll try and write more this weekend. Until then, could you please leave a review while I collapse from exhaustion?_


	5. V

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **Once again: _Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

. V .

* * *

He didn't like to admit it, but somehow, Maes had thought that something similar to this was going to happen. In fact, as he was riding with the rest of the military over to Ishbal to suppress the civil war, he almost felt as though it was a wonder why it hadn't happened sooner. Of course, he couldn't put a finger on why he felt that way; after all, he had been beginning to like life in Central. Military training, visiting one Gracia Stern every once in a while… 

But oh well. He decided not to mention that to anyone, instead focusing on the tasks at hand. Such as suppressing the uprising. Maes found it also slightly amazing that the Ishballans could put up such a resistance. After all, having started the war, they had no government aid to help them.

In fact, they put up such a fight that other soldiers thought it amazing that Second Lieutenant Hughes had enough time to write a full letter to Miss Gracia Stern once per week, just after receiving one from her.

The two of them constantly wrote letters to one another. Maes would say how things were going on the warfront – perhaps that new Private got shot, or how the Brigadier General was being a pain in the rear, or possibly even about a pair of doctors that stayed on the warfront and continued to heal both Amestrian and Ishballan wounded alike regardless of the danger – and would ask how things were back home. Gracia, in turn, would reply with news of the simple things in Central – how this store ran out of flour because their shipment's late due to the war, or how Roy was progressing even more rapidly in his alchemical studies (he nearly set the next door neighbor's house on fire though), or how the Fuhrer himself had come down to her house to have tea and asked about a certain young man who had washed down a river with amnesia – and ask if things were still alright on the war front, begging Maes to do all in his power to end it quickly and come back to Central.

This went on for several years. The Ishballans made no headway against the Amestrians; the Amestrians, in turn, made no headway against the Ishballans; and Maes and Gracia continued to write letters every week. One week, however, was different: Gracia wrote a more urgent letter than usual, stating that the State Alchemists (including Roy) were being sent in to take care of things. Of course, Maes was not too surprised to find that out, as Roy himself was the one who – slightly irritated by the situation – delivered the letter. Judging by a special performance the Captain (promoted during the war itself) received from the Flame Alchemist later that day (due in part to Maes poking fun at Roy because of the look he gave to a different, female Second Lieutenant named Riza), Maes decided not to feed that irritation any further.

Roy was only one of the State Alchemists that had been brought in to end the war in Ishbal. Other alchemists of note included: Jolio Comanche, the Silver Alchemist specializing in alchemy that created weapons and stuff (Maes always thought he looked oddly too much like a penguin to be completely human, although the personality was of neither creature); Basque Grand, the Iron-Blooded Alchemist, specializing in alchemy that enhanced the martial arts (Maes respected this particular Colonel quite a bit for his actions); Zolf Kimbley, the Crimson Alchemist specializing in exploding things (Maes thought he was quite annoying and belonged in a mental institution); and Alex L. Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist specializing in alchemy that moves the earth (Maes believed that this particular alchemist should not even have been brought to the battlefield – his suspicions about the Major's soft heart were confirmed upon the alchemist first seeing a casualty).

As soon as the State Alchemists were brought in, things went rather quickly, and the Ishbal rebellion ended fast. Most of the Ishballans were eliminated, and those that were not were captured and sent to special camps. On the final day that the Amestrian military was there, Maes thought he caught a glimpse of a young man in tattered clothing staring down toward them from the top of a nearby cliff, but took it as just an illusion when he looked back and saw nothing.

* * *

"Father" was happier than he had been in years when Wrath called him about the end of the Ishbal war. That meant that his "sons" had been successful in harvesting souls for Philosopher's Stones. He was one step closer to obtaining his goal. 

When he asked about Pride, however, the answer was the same: No, there are no signs of Pride having regained his memories yet.

The question from the youngest homunculus was then also the same: Should I start taking a more forceful approach on the matter, "Father"?

And the answer to that was, as well, the same glum response as always: No, let him remember on his own; if it is forced, he might run away.

* * *

Gracia was ecstatic to learn that the military had finally pulled out of Ishbal. After all, that meant that Roy and Maes were coming home to Central. 

Upon the arrival home, there was a small military ceremony. Among the many people who received rewards for their work in Ishbal, Roy Mustang was promoted one rank for his efforts in the war, earning him the title of Lieutenant Colonel. Maes Hughes, meanwhile, was promoted to Major.

After the ceremony, Maes quickly made his way to the house of Miss Gracia Stern. Along the way, he bought a small bouquet of flowers; he took a gamble on carnations, dearly hoping that she was not allergic. Upon finally making it to the lady's doorstep, he knocked timidly.

A few seconds passed before the door opened, revealing a young, pretty blonde woman standing behind the door. "Hello," she said sweetly.

Maes paused a moment and adjusted his glasses quietly before replying, "My name is Maes Hughes, and I'm here to see Miss Gracia Stern, please. Do I have the wrong house?"

"No, no," the woman said, smiling. "You have the right house. I'm her twin sister, Cynthia Stern. She's just finishing up in the shower; I'll go tell her you're here. You can wait for her in the sitting room." She motioned toward a nicely decorated room with a few chairs, a table, and a sofa.

"Thank you," Maes replied.

Several minutes later, Gracia walked down the stairs in a dress suited for going out on errands in the sun. Seeing Maes in the sitting room, she quickly walked over to him and exclaimed, "Maes-san! This was unexpected; I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," Maes replied, standing up, "but you know, with my job in the military and all that…"

"That's alright," Gracia responded. "I understand. So, um, is there any particular reason that you came over today? You know, other than to say 'hi'?" Her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Well, um," Maes started, also blushing as light reflected off his glasses, "I brought you some flowers; I hope you like carnations." He handed her the bouquet.

"Oh, Maes," Gracia replied, accepting the gift. "They're lovely. Thank you."

Maes rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I was sort of wondering if; well, if you'd like to come to dinner with me tonight."

"Of course I would," Gracia replied. "Cynthia's always out with her husband at night, so going out of the house with you will be nice."

The two of them smiled. Tonight would be their first actual date.

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, it's almost a month after I wrote the last chapter (sorry about that, but between church stuff and APs and golf… yeah), chapter 59 of the manga should be out tomorrow or the next day, and I'm exhausted. I'll try and write more soon, so please review?_


	6. VI

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

. VI .

* * *

Maes and Gracia dated for a couple of months. Anyone who saw them at one of the various places they went to thought that the two of them were certainly made for one another. 

One particular night, there came an announcement that a special branch of the military was hosting a display of fireworks over Central. As a Major in the military, Maes was able to receive a good area in the city to view them with Gracia; however, the two of them decided instead to watch from outside the city, where there would not be quite as much noise from the explosions involved. So, the pair chose a spot along the brook that ran along the outskirts of Central, a little upstream, in fact, of where Maes had been found several years before. The moon was out, and the stars glistened in the cloudless sky.

The two of them made their way to the spot they had chosen days before. At this particular area, the river that split into, among other things, the particular brook had not quite split, and it ran through a raised patch of land with a significant drop. Gracia actually slipped once and nearly fell into the river, but Maes caught her just in time and pulled her back up.

The two sat by the river and shared a romantic dinner (a special chicken-based dish that Gracia had cooked herself) under the moonlight. Afterwards, the two of them looked toward Central, waiting for the display to begin.

Maes shuffled where he sat for a moment, but then he pulled something from his back pocket, stood up, and said, "Gracia, I have something to ask you."

"What is it, Maes?" Gracia asked, also standing up.

Maes turned to her and, smiling sweetly, got down on one knee and held out the small box he had pulled from his pocket. He opened the box, revealing inside a glistening diamond ring.

"Oh, Maes, it's beautiful."

Maes then asked seriously, "You've been so kind to me ever since we met, and I… I love you. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend my life with. So, Gracia, would you… will you marry me?"

Gracia's face lit up as she replied, "Yes, Maes, of course I'll marry you!"

The two embraced just as the first firework was set off over the city of Central. The twinkles from the aftermath of the explosions sparkled over the lovers like rainbow-colored stars.

* * *

The next few months were spent planning the wedding, and when the big day arrived, no one had ever attended a more perfect ceremony. Everyone thought that Maes and Gracia were perfect for one another. Although Maes had no family that he knew of to invite, the entirety of the military arrived to watch the ceremony; everyone all the way up to Fuhrer King Bradley himself attended. Roy was even persuaded to be Maes' best man, although the two promised that Maes would do so for Roy if and when the Flame Alchemist ever chose a bride. And thus did the two of them marry and become Mr. and Mrs. Maes Hughes. 

It might be of interest to note that the Fuhrer made a phone call shortly after the wedding to someone only referred to as "Father" to tell even this mysterious person the news. But that is relatively insignificant at this time.

The week after the wedding, Maes took leave for his and Gracia's honeymoon. Although he was now an indispensable part of the Investigations Department and there was a huge case to work towards solving, the Major was confident in the developing skills belonging to the Strong-Arm Alchemist. Besides, he figured, Armstrong could use a break from war and stuff to work on cases where he needed to prevent future deaths instead of cause them.

* * *

Time passed further along. Maes and Gracia got their own place in Central so that the two of them could be alone together while still being close to Maes' work. Cynthia (who, upon Maes' wondering, Gracia explained had kept her last name even though she was married because she felt more comfortable that way) eventually became pregnant, and although Maes and Gracia were having problems doing so (the doctor discovered one day that Maes was, more or less, sterile), they were very happy for Gracia's twin. Eventually, Maes even rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, although that was only after Roy had made it to Colonel. 

And then one day, it came time for Cynthia to deliver her child.

The child was a healthy baby girl, but Cynthia died in childbirth. When her husband had received the call that the child was being born, he had gotten in the car to come home from work. He never made it; he lost control of his car and it fell into a river, the first recorded incident of that ever happening anywhere in Amestris.

And, of course, the child needed parents.

So, Maes and Gracia opted to adopt her. It was mostly Gracia who made the final decision; although Maes was unsure whether they should or not, Gracia told him that it would be for the best. After all, this way she could remember her sister easier.

The two of them named the little girl Elysia.

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry that the ending of this chapter is more or lesspathetic… I just couldn't figure out a better way to phrase that. Things should go easier from here on though – next chapter introduces one Edward Elric to the plot. We don't know _anyone_ like that… -stops being sarcastic- Another thing of note is that I'm sort of changing my outlook on this story. Instead of it being written to explain how my theory could be true, it's going to be pretty much if the theory is true, where we go from here…Sorry if that confused you… So, um... please leave a review! I'm allowing anonymous reviews now if you haven't noticed, so even if you don't have an account on Fanfiction dot net, please leave me a little note telling me how you think I'm doing with this._


	7. VII

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

**. VII .**

Things continued to flow quite smoothly for the Hughes family for several years. Maes became one of the most important officers in the Investigations Department, and although that meant that he was often called out to other cities in Amestris in order to check on important crimes there, he somehow always found at least some time to be at home with his wife and daughter. He could often be seen at home carrying around a camera, much of the time taking photos of Elysia and Gracia. At work, he was never found without at least one of those photos in his pocket, although when he was not in a particularly serious mood he could be found showing off the latest photos. At first, the staff didn't complain (heck, doesn't everyone take pride in their families?), but after the first few dozen incidents or so…

One day, when Elysia was about a month or two away from turning three years old, Maes got a phone call from Roy, who was stationed in East City. The Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker, was convicted of experimenting with humans in transmutations, and he needed to be brought to Central by the Investigations Department in order to question him and lock him up so he couldn't do any more harm. This, of course, meant that Maes had to come to East City and get the alchemist. Not that this was a particularly bad idea anyway – there were rumors of a serial killer that had moved from Central to East City, and Maes wanted to warn the resident Colonel (namely, Roy) of the situation.

As Maes was packing his suitcase to leave, Elysia peeked quietly into her father's bedroom. The little girl had been quite quick to learn how to walk and was almost fluent when she was speaking as well. She asked, "Daddy, are you going somewhere?"

Maes looked up, saw his daughter, and smiled. "Come here, Elysia," he replied, and Elysia obeyed. As soon as his daughter was seated on Maes' lap, he said, "I have a lot of work to do, and some of that work requires that I be away from home for a little while. But don't you worry; as soon as I'm done with all of my work, I'll come straight home."

"You promise, Daddy?" Elysia asked, staring straight into Maes' eyes.

"I promise, Elysia," he replied, cuddling his daughter.

Elysia couldn't help but giggle happily. Her father always made her feel so nice and warm inside. And it was a feeling that no one else could give her, either. After all, to Elysia, most people felt like just one complete piece. But Daddy felt different: it felt like there were two or three pieces in him, all working together. She never brought it up with him because her two-year-old mind didn't quite comprehend that it might be more than just a quirk; she felt that if he ever wanted to ask her about it, he'd do so himself.

And late that night, after kissing Elysia goodnight and saying goodbye to Gracia, Maes got on the train to East City.

* * *

Somewhere in Lior, three of the homunculi were gathered to discuss things. 

Envy was in his usual annoyed mood that day, but he managed to express his worries about the state alchemist killer that was going around.

Lust was feeling rather deadpan, but she was also rather worried about the killer. After all, "Father" had specifically stressed that certain alchemists were not to be harmed – they were "human sacrifices". She would later go investigate this killer somewhat on her own – What was his name?

Envy smiled – The military calls him Scar. They don't know his real name, or where he comes from. As such, neither do I. The only information anyone knows is that he has a large X-shaped scar on his forehead. Thus, "Scar".

Okay, then we should probably investigate. If only Pride were here, he'd help us investigate this.

You know he isn't here, and besides, even if he were, he only helps when it isn't necessary. He really ticks me off – Envy slapped his head in an annoyed fashion as Lust chuckled and Gluttony looked on.

* * *

Maes had initially thought that this was going to be just your average come-lock-up-the-criminal case. When he arrived in East City with his subordinate, Major Armstrong, however, he was greeted with less than good news. Shou Tucker had been murdered gruesomely during the night, as had his daughter (turned chimera) and the guards outside the building. Evidence by how the corpses appeared to have been blown apart from the inside suggested that the serial killer that Maes had wanted to warn Roy about was no rumor. 

And, of course, said alchemist killer just _had_ to show up and target the Fullmetal Alchemist, who had been in East City studying with Tucker.

Colonel Mustang and the rest of the military personnel in the area ran to help the new youngest state alchemist in history (he had gotten in at a mere 12 years of age, compared to Roy's 15). The result was an interesting battle: Fullmetal's automail arm was now destroyed, his brother's suit of armor (interestingly enough, this served as the boy's actual body) was torn apart as well, Roy's uselessness in the rain was showcased, the serial killer managed to escape into the sewers, and Maes managed to escape the entire fray by hiding in an alley.

After things had more or less calmed down, Maes peeked out of the alley and asked, "Hey? Is it over?"

Armstrong then asked, "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes… where have you been all this time?"

Maes made a thumbs-up as he replied, "Hiding! If things went bad, someone had to live to tell the tale!"

Roy stated in an annoyed tone, "You know, next time, could you consider _possibly_ helping us?"

Maes responded, "Forget it! Don't try to drag normal humans like me under the big top with the rest of you freaks!"

Mustang was taken aback by the 'freaks' comment, but Maes merely called over to the other officers to get a sketch together of the serial killer.

_Besides,_ Maes thought to himself as he watched the Elric brothers (more or less) collect themselves, _it's not as though I wasn't available if they were in absolute danger. It's not as though I was making myself invisible in that alley or anything, right?_

* * *

Naturally, Maes would have gladly escorted Edward and Alphonse Elric to their mechanic in Resembool. However, due to the enormous amount of work awaiting him back in Central (and the fact that he promised his family that he'd be back as soon as he possibly could) he passed that job on to one of the others in the military. Namely, Major Armstrong. 

Naturally, Edward was not too happy about this (Maes understood the boy's feelings; after all, the Major's… flamboyant personality was sometimes even too much for him). However, Maes did manage to see them off. (It helped that his own train back to Central was to leave shortly after.) And after delivering – and receiving – messages between Roy and Ed, that train left, and Maes quickly ran to catch his own train back to Central.

He was hoping that he would be able to spend some time with his family when he returned home. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be (whatever they may be in this case) had other plans for the Lieutenant Colonel.

* * *

_Author's Note: I am about to kick myself. Once again an ending scene that I am not quite happy with but don't know how else to phrase it, and this time it's a cliffhanger at that. Although if you're caught up, you probably know where the story is in relation to the manga and what's happening (please note that real quotes were used in the third part of this chapter)… anyway, I won't be writing anything over the weekend as I'll be at my aunt's anniversary party (which is a huge event for reasons that I will not discuss here). Not that I upload something every day anyway, but still. Until I do, could you please leave a quick review?_


	8. VIII

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. VIII .

Well, this was just perfect. Who would have guessed that upon his return to Central, Maes would find himself faced with _so much work_? Between the Tucker Chimera case that had yet to be resolved and Scar showing up unexpectedly in East City, not to mention all of the more run-of-the-mill cases that were constantly popping up, Maes hardly had any time to leave his office on break, let alone go home for a night to be with his family. He had to pull more all-nighters during that week than previously in his entire career as a Lieutenant Colonel.

And then, in the manner in which things like this often happen, the first branch of the Central Library just _had_ to burn down, taking with it all sorts of records, incident logs, lists of names, and other documents that the Investigations Department had stored there. Which, of course, lead to an even bigger load of work for Maes and his subordinates.

However, just when everything seemed lost for getting the day off to be home for Elysia's third birthday, hope appeared in the form of a young girl named Sheska. The Elric Brothers (who had come to Central unannounced after their maintenance in Risembul) had found her while looking for anyone who could confirm whether certain alchemical notes by one Tim Marcoh had been stored in the First Branch. She happened to have a photographic memory, which helped the brothers out tremendously, and she had also happened to have read many of the important documents needed by the Investigations Department before being fired as a librarian for reading too much on the job.

And thusly, by offering the girl a job copying said important documents to re-create the military records, Maes was able to assure himself at least the afternoon off to be home for his daughter's birthday about a week later. He also invited Edward's mechanic, Winry Rockbell, who was visiting to make emergency repairs on the boy's automail arm due to some trouble that had come up at the "abandoned" fifth alchemical laboratory. Maes was slightly intrigued about what had happened, but he decided to ask later, after the party.

The party went spectacularly. Except for the birthday girl's new mouse toy that broke (which Winry fixed easily – Maes knew he had made the right decision in inviting her) and a few boys being slightly rough with Elysia (Maes was positive that those little 'perverts' would hurt his little angel if left unchecked), nothing could possibly have gone better. In fact, he commented to Gracia when the two of them had a moment alone that if he could give up all of this just to get his memories of the past back, he would never accept that offer in a million years. His wife smiled happily.

After all of the guests had left, Maes was going to escort Winry back to the hospital so she could check up on Ed. Before doing so, however, he disclosed one final gift for his daughter that had previously been hidden in a closet: a small cage, a bag of feed, and various other tools necessary for the keeping of one small pet bird. Upon seeing Elysia's excitement, he explained, "I know things get lonely around here when I'm not around, so your mother and I have decided that a small pet of your own would help to keep you company. I've arranged with the local pet store to have the bird I got for you delivered here to you tonight, and we will help you take care of it until you are old enough to take care of it." He looked over toward Gracia, who smiled and nodded.

Elysia leapt into her father's arms, hugging him tightly as she replied, "Thank you so much, Daddy!" She then looked hopefully up into his eyes and asked, "Will you be able to come home tonight?"

Maes shook his head sadly. "I still have a lot of work to do back at the office, Elysia, so I doubt that I will be able to come home tonight. As soon as I've finished all of it, however, I promise that I will come straight home."

"You promise?" Elysia prodded, her eyes hopefully staring into her father's.

"I promise," he replied, sealing the promise with a kiss to his daughter's forehead. And then, after saying a quick goodbye to Gracia as well, Maes escorted Winry back to the hospital.

Unfortunately, some promises are more difficult to keep than others.

* * *

After several… interesting events at the hospital involving the Elric Brothers, self-doubt, and all that type of fun nonsense, Edward showed Maes and Major Armstrong hand-drawn images of various things he had seen when he was at Lab 5. Namely, the tattoo of the oroboros, the transmutation circle that was stated to have been used to create the Philosopher's Stone, and a 'homunculus' named Envy. For the life of him, Maes couldn't figure out why, but for some reason, all three of those images seemed somewhat familiar to him. He didn't mention any of that, however; he merely stated that he'd look through lists of criminals to see if there were any matches. 

And then, of course, King Bradley entered the room. After giving Ed a melon, the Fuhrer then proceeded to make a small speech about how he knew about everything that had happened, after which he gave everyone in the room a specific order not to tell anyone else about anything that they had discussed in this room, as one never knows who can or cannot be trusted. After that, of course, his subordinates came looking for him and he had to jump out the window in order to make it back to his office before they could catch him. All of them agreed that the Fuhrer was a very odd man…

Just then, Winry entered the room again, and she and the Elrics discussed their travel plans, eventually deciding to make a pit stop in Rush Valley, land of automail mechanics (because Winry pushed the issue), followed by a visit with the brothers' teacher in Dublith. For some reason, Maes couldn't avoid thinking that he had something that he should probably do in Dublith as well, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out exactly what it was.

And thusly, the Elric Brothers and Winry left Central by train. Maes, unfortunately, was unable to see them off, as he had too much work still to do in the office that night.

He, however, was not the only one to not see the brothers off; the Fuhrer had ventured down below ground to speak to the one he called "Father".

His opinion on the matter was simple: he knows too much already, and he's going to search for more information. If he figured things out before he regained his memories and tells the rest of the military, we could have a serious issue on our hands.

Envy and Lust stood in the corner, neither of them showing any expression. The former's suggestion was simple enough: regardless of the risks, we should force him to remember now, and then we can make sure he can't go back to the humans by faking his murder.

"Father" did not seem too happy with this idea, but he realized the risks of what could happen. After all, one of the reasons why Pride was his favorite "son" was because of his intelligence. He reached a decision: Lust and Envy will go. The two of them will fake his murder and meanwhile cause him to remember who he is. Then, he will return when he sees the truth.

Envy and Lust nodded, understanding their roles. The former even gave a mock military style salute before the two of them walked away.

Wrath turned away and began on his way back to his office. After all, his subordinates would begin to question if he was away too long.

"Father" buried his face in his hands, his mind only able to think of one phrase:

I am sorry, my son.

* * *

Maes was mostly minding his own business that night, actually. He was merely reading about the uprisings in Lior that were finally calming down. Sergeant Foker, however, was the one who caused him to figure out what was going on. Whoever had caused Ishbal (and Maes now had a good idea who) also had a hand in the quarrels in Lior, and judging by the direction, they would only head north. He had to confirm this though... 

Without any comments about what he had figured out, he left Sheska and Foker to continue with their work and ran to the library to confirm what he had discovered. Regrettably only seeing verity in his findings, he was surprised by the door to the library closing suddenly. After all, he was not alone in the room; a black-haired lady in a dress cut low up top blocked the exit. Her distinguishing mark was the same oroboros mark that Ed had mentioned earlier, and for some reason, she looked very familiar to Maes. She greeted him with a simple "How do you do? Or should I say 'goodbye' instead?"

Maes was clearly quite frightened and nervous, but he attempted to hide it as he replied, "That's a fancy tattoo you have there, miss." He was obviously referring to the oroboros mark.

"You know too much, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," the woman replied, looking at the man sternly as she extended her nails into long spears and attempted to impale Maes. He, however, was quick as well, and although he was slashed by the blade, he threw a knife at her, sticking the point of the blade straight into her forehead. When the woman fell, Maes clutched his wounded shoulder and fled the room, desperate to find a phone. He had to warn everyone…

Maes' first instinct was to run to the military phone to call the Fuhrer and warn him about possible corruption within the ranks. However, he stopped short as he realized something: judging by everything that had happened ever since King Bradley had entered office (Maes had only read about it, but still), all of the uprisings were connected somehow with the Fuhrer, or at least the people close to him. Judging by the woman who had just tried to kill him, the military phone would probably be tapped, and that would only cause more trouble for him. He needed to make it out of this alive (after all, he promised Elysia), but he did need to warn Roy. And so, apologizing to the lady at the front desk, Maes left the building.

By the time he reached the secluded phone booth where he would make the fated call, Maes' shoulder was no longer bleeding. Which was somewhat strange; after all, most people would still be bleeding after this short amount of time, but Maes was not even feeling much pain from the wound any more. But he didn't let that bother him; right now, he needed to make a phone call.

Maes told the desk lady his code, causing his favorite picture of Elysia (the one where she, Gracia, and himself were all together; it was taken by someone else) to fall to the ground. The lady asked him to wait just a moment and he would be connected to the Colonel's office. He merely replied, "Hurry up! The military's in trouble!"

Before he could make another move, however, he was met with the barrel of a gun. Said gun was pointed at him by none other than Second Lieutenant Maria Ross, one of Major Armstrong's subordinates… no, wait, that wasn't her. Maes pointed that out, explaining, "Second Lieutenant Ross has a birthmark under her left eye!"

Stunned for a second, the imposter then grinned and stated, "Oh, is that so? I was being careless." She then pulled her fingers across her face, a spark illuminating the small, round mark that had now been added. "Is this all right?"

Maes was shocked. He turned away from the grinning imposter and clutched his head. "What is this? It's like something I'd see in a dream…" Actually, visions now came to him of something similar to this occurring, almost as though he _had_, in fact, seen it in a dream… or perhaps in a forgotten reality… he _had_ been living with amnesia for the past fifteen years…

The imposter continued to smile, still holding the gun up to the man. "Yes, you're having the ultimate nightmare. Such a shame. It's all because you're quick witted, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes."

Maes then replied, letting a blade slip from its hidden container within his sleeve, "Hey, cut me some slack, would you? I've got a wife and daughter waiting for me back home." He then turned around and prepared to strike with the blade, crying, "I can't die today!"

He stopped short, however, as the creature that stood behind him had now, with a shower of sparks, taken the form of his beloved wife. His head told him not to fall for the imposter, but he remained frozen with hesitation. The imposter then smirked evilly and stated, with Gracia's voice, "You aren't going to stab your own wife, are you? Aren't these nice effects, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Hughes household… 

The bird had been delivered. It was a female white dove, one year old. Its distinguishing feature was its pink eyes, which gave away the fact that it was an albino, unable to make pigment for coloration. And now, it belonged to young Elysia Hughes.

As the pet store owner gently placed the bird into its new cage, Gracia asked her daughter, "So, what do you think you would like to name your new bird?"

Elysia thought for a moment, trying to come up with the perfect name. "Mommy, I'd like to name it Mili!"

"Mili?" Gracia repeated. "That sounds like a wonderful name, Elysia."

The pet store owner smiled as he closed the cage door and locked it with a small key.

* * *

Roy Mustang's voice suddenly came over the receiver of the telephone, but he received no answer. He called Maes' last name out again and again, but still no answer. This worried him – usually the man was quite talkative and wouldn't keep his friend waiting, especially if it was about his daughter. But something didn't feel right about this… 

If only he had known that Maes Hughes was slumped over in that phone booth, bleeding from a gunshot wound directly to the chest, unconscious. When the doctors would get on the scene, they would pronounce him dead. The reader, of course, shall now know otherwise – he was merely comatose, and although they were so faint that not even the latest technology in pulse reading could pick it up, his vital signs were still going.

But for all intents and purposes, the general population now considered Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes to be dead. Having been "killed in action", as it was called, he received an honorary promotion of two ranks to Brigadier General. His family would still be well taken care of.

At the funeral several days later, everyone was grim. After all, they were burying a brilliant man. He may not have taken things seriously, but he was certainly brilliant.

Elysia, in fact, was the only one who did not understand what was going on exactly in the same way that everyone else did. No one knew about her abilities, but she knew he was still in there, and she could feel what no one else could feel about his condition. She didn't realize what abilities she had, so she merely asked her mother, "Mommy, why are they burying Daddy?" When Gracia was unable to answer, she called out to the funeral workers, "Don't bury Daddy! He told me he has a lot of work to do! He told me so! If you bury him, he can't do his work! Why are you burying Daddy? Don't bury him!" Gracia burst into tears, clutching her child for dear life as the girl issued one last cry of "Daddy!"

After the grave had been filled, one person stayed behind. Roy stood by his friend's grave, eyes filling with tears. "Promoted two ranks for being killed in action… how ironic; you always said you would support me from below."

Riza came to get him, and after he had expressed his mood, he and Hawkeye turned to leave. However, before they could, Roy noticed, "It's raining."

It was a clear day, so Riza questioningly responded, "What are you talking about, Colonel? It isn't –"

"Yes, it's raining," Roy interrupted, tears flowing down his cheeks.

Riza bowed her head, understanding. "Yes, it is."

* * *

During that time, Envy and Lust sat in a secluded area of the nearby forest. Lust was tapping her foot impatiently as she sat on a boulder; Envy had taken to pacing back and forth a while ago. 

"Where _is_ he, I wonder," Envy murmured.

"Perhaps we had the wrong person?" Lust suggested.

"No," Envy replied. "It was definitely him. The way his arm had healed so quickly from the wound you had inflicted."

As if in reply, a male voice stated from behind a tree, "The gunshot wound wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy either, you know."

Envy and Lust turned to see the newcomer emerge from behind a tree. Any human that would have entered this forest would have immediately thought they were seeing a ghost, as this particular figure had been, for all intents and purposes, Maes Hughes prior to that fatal gunshot wound. However, that was more or less old news now…

Lust smiled (although Envy merely turned away pompously) and replied, "It's good to see you again, _Pride_."

* * *

_Author's Note: -yawn- It's after midnight as I'm finishing this chapter. I believe that the RAW of chapter 61 just came out more or less half an hour ago in Japan. I haven't seen it yet, and I am going to bed as soon as this is posted, so I won't see it until the afternoon. But I'm sorry for the delay in the chapter yet again… I hope the length of this particular chapter made up for it. I probably could have split it in half (it's six and a half pages on Word), but I wanted to get this scene over with. Now I get to have some more freedom with the fic, including adding a little white dove named Mili whose purpose I will not state until the end… Anyway, if you were expecting some funny story with Maes bouncing around showing the homunculi pictures of Elysia 24/7, you're wrong. But don't worry – Maes will return… as soon as Pride can figure out everything… but I've said too much. So, anyway, please tell me what you think!_


	9. IX

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. IX .

Pride was the first homunculus born. "Father" had created him first, and "Father" liked him the best. So, it was natural that Pride would fit himself in as a good "son" for "Father".

Then, of course, the other six homunculi were born one by one, each for a different purpose. For example, Envy had been born to conceal what was left of Xerxes. Gluttony had been an attempt to recreate the Doors of Truth. ("Father" never told anyone why he wanted to recreate those doors, but it must have been important.) Wrath, the youngest, was created so that "Father" could have a political hold over Amestris.

But Pride had been born for the simple reason that "Father" had wanted a "son".

And thus, when "Father" had heard that his "son" had disappeared fifteen years prior, of course he was upset. He hadn't even been this upset when Greed had chosen to leave, because Pride had simply disappeared without saying anything.

"Father", thus, was overjoyed when Pride returned home, accompanied by Lust and Envy. So overjoyed, in fact, that he pulled himself up from his chair and ran forward (as fast as he could) to meet his "son" and embrace him. Pride did not flinch away.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Father," Pride told him, the tears already beginning to flow from both beings' pairs of eyes. "It's just…"

"I know, son," "Father" replied. "I know. You had no say in the matter. I'm just glad you're home."

"Yeah," Pride replied, suddenly feeling a small twinge of guilt. He recalled his wife and daughter, and how the two of them were waiting for him back… well, where he had called 'home' for fifteen years.

"Father" immediately noticed and asked, "Is something the matter, son? It seems as though something is troubling you."

"It's just," Pride replied, "with the humans, I have a wife and a daughter. With what _Envy_ -" he shot a glare back at the palm-tree-like homunculus, who was simply standing there smirking – "did to bring me back, I doubt that I will be able to return to them."

"True," "Father" replied, "and even if it had not happened that way, I doubt that I would be allowing you outside for quite a while anyway, for I do not want to lose you again. However, I will tell Wrath to make sure that your wife and daughter are well cared for."

"Thank you, Father," Pride replied, bowing in respect as the man let his "son" free from his grasp.

* * *

When Pride found his space – it couldn't really be called a "room", per say, but it was a space that the eldest homunculus had long-ago claimed to be his – he found it unchanged from how it had been when he was last there so long ago. He had really only come up here for one reason, however, and it was not to obtain a wave of nostalgia.

He quietly sat down in the wooden chair that occupied one corner of his space, along with a piece of paper and a pen. And thus, as quietly as he could, he began to write.

_Dear Greed,_

_How have you been? I'm sorry I have not written to you in… oh, about fifteen years now. But things have happened, and long story short, I've been away from home._

He then proceeded to explain everything that had happened during the last fifteen years. His closed it with the following paragraphs:

_So, that's why I haven't been able to write. But, I've got my memory back now. Well, most of it anyway. Some minor parts are still a little fuzzy, like what happened right before I fell, but I'm sure those are relatively unimportant and will come in time._

_So, how are things with you? Still looking for immortality or what have you? Well, it's just a thought, but I wonder what would happen if you attached your soul to something unable to die, like a suit of armor or something? I met a couple of boys who had done just that, and although it might not be exactly what you're looking for, maybe you should look into it._

_Write back soon!  
_

_Pride_

After skimming it over to make sure there were no spelling errors, Pride quickly folded the letter and pushed it into an envelope. He addressed it to "Ava Ricce" and signed the return address as "Pu Raido", as he had been for years to avoid unnecessary attention.

After all, Pride was one of the only beings who knew where Greed now resided, and the one thing that the first homunculus did that was against the wishes of "Father" was keeping that information secret.

* * *

_Author's Note: Short chapter tonight. Sorry about that, but I wanted to get this out. After all, unless I've got my information confused, my family's heading to the beach tomorrow. It's a wonderful place, but I can't access the internet from there. (I can, however, bring my laptop, so I might write up some stuff while I'm there. Or, I might not. Depends on the weather.) So, please review!_


	10. X

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. X .

Pride had an… interesting social life, shall we say.

Or at least, his social life _had_ been like that before his little accident, and as he was not allowed out of the house anymore, it was sort of falling into the same manner.

This social life included only eight beings: he, "Father", and the other six homunculi. He himself was first on the list because, naturally, he was Pride. Pride's cliché definition is narcissism; thus, he had to think of himself highly or "Father" would think there was something wrong with him. Speaking of whom, "Father" was the next on his social ladder because… well, that's kind of self-explanatory.

Pride trusted the other homunculi in the following order:

Greed was at the top of the list. Which makes sense – after all, the narcissistic naturally believe that they are deserving of everything. Regardless of the fact that Greed had betrayed and abandoned "Father" a century before and regardless of the fact that Pride was the most loyal of "Father's" "sons", Pride still trusted Greed the most of the homunculi. Precisely why the two of them wrote to each other.

The next on the list was Wrath. This also makes sense – the narcissistic see other people who believe themselves to be the best and immediately determine that they must be destroyed (physically or mentally depends on the situation). This relationship between Wrath and Pride is exactly what many wars are begun over, and although Wrath was the youngest of the homunculi, Pride already trusted him more than almost all of his other "siblings".

Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth were all on the neutral rung on this figurative social ladder. He didn't really mind their existence, but they certainly weren't worthy enough of his trust in his mind. Besides, Lust was too busy luring problem men into her traps, Gluttony was too stupid to have an intelligent conversation with, and Sloth… well, he was just Sloth.

At the very bottom of this social list, of course, was Envy. After all, if the narcissistic had any thoughts of envy… well, then they wouldn't be narcissistic anymore, now would they? If someone else's things are better than your own in your eyes, then yours are no longer the best and you shift right from pride to envy. Thus, it was natural for Pride and Envy to get along like oil and vinegar. Besides, Envy _was_ the one who shot him… there was probably something else he should be angry at him for too… Pride couldn't put his finger on it… but you'd be angry at someone who shot you while impersonating your human spouse.

Oh, how Pride would have loved to re-expand his very tiny social ladder. Perhaps to re-include a certain group of people into the fold, including a man who was quite comfortable around fire… perhaps a young woman, her daughter, and their pet bird who were owed the fulfillment of a promise…

But, unfortunately, he could not. "Father" would not let him leave the vicinity. He had enough trouble gaining the space to write his letters to Greed in private.

And that would be the reason that Pride began to slip into a depression of sorts over the course of the next month.

* * *

Life was dreary for the, now all-female, Hughes family. Gracia tried to keep in a good mood in order to prevent Elysia from becoming too depressed, but deep inside, she knew it was all hopeless – Maes was dead. He wasn't coming back.

Elysia, on the other hand, had never quite grasped the concept of what had occurred at the funeral. She had felt him there – all three harmonious parts of him were inside that large box that the strange men were burying. When they had visited the stone that marked the spot where they had done that, however, she did not feel any of his parts. She knew there were lots of other people sleeping under ground, but her daddy wasn't there. She just… she just knew he wasn't there. And thus, he had to be somewhere else. That's why Elysia could often be seen looking hopefully out the window, waiting expectantly for daddy to come home and always slightly disappointed when he never came back.

Mili, on the other hand, had come home a cheerful young dove, singing happily about once every three hours or so (except at night – she let Elysia sleep). As the month began to pass, however, her songs became less cheerful and less timely. In fact, some days she would merely sit in a corner of her cage, only moving when Elysia came over to check to see if she was okay and then only because she was afraid of the girl's not-so-dexterous hands that, without some response, would press forward and prod without the slightest hint of turning back.

* * *

Pride watched on from a balcony as Greed was brought in, hanging from a piece of concrete shaped vaguely in the shape of a cross. Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, and Envy stood on the floor below as "Father" sat reading another of his alchemic texts.

When asked why he left, Greed responded that the avarice that he naturally came by – "Father" _did_ make him that way, after all – would not have been fulfilled had he stayed.

When asked if he would re-join the group, the answer was a loud no.

And with that, Greed was given the cliché punishment – he was dipped in boiling oil. Only the finest oil imported directly from Xing, of course, but it was still boiling.

And as Greed shouted his final words – "Don't blame me if you get sick!" – and as "Father" re-absorbed the renegade homunculus' Philosopher's Stone into his body, and as the other homunculi went back to whatever they had been doing at the time, Pride turned away.

Greed had been one of the only connections to the upper world that he'd had. Not to mention he was one of the only beings around that he felt he could trust. And frankly, losing that was like losing his human family all over again.

Pride needed time to think things over. And the fact that "Father" was going to let him have a short excursion to the surface the next day provided a perfect opportunity.

He had decided to visit his grave.

* * *

_Author's Note: Another relatively short chapter, but oh well. Next chapter's content some people will recognize… but that's all I'll state. Until then, review please?_


	11. XI

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

. XI .

* * *

If there was one reason that Pride found to be narcissistic, no matter how depressed he might have been feeling, it was the fact that his abilities were, in his opinion, far superior to those of his siblings. 

Pride had the ability to turn invisible. Or, in more complex terms, he had the ability to change the way light energy bounced off his molecules, allowing him to produce the illusion of him being not there. He also had the ability, if he used enough energy, to pass through solid objects by expanding the space between his atoms for a few seconds. (Hence how he was able to escape from within his buried coffin.)

He did not have to turn himself completely invisible at any given time, however. He could choose to hide a few of his features while still keeping the rest of himself visible. Which is precisely how his Ouroboros tattoo had remained undiscovered by his human companions – on his trip to Ishbal before "the accident" as it was now referred, he had hidden it in order to prevent any issues there. And, when he lost his memory, it remained stuck like that unconsciously.

Incidentally, he still had to be careful. Depending on weather conditions, he sometimes was unable to render himself completely invisible. This was especially true on bright, sunny days – just because Pride bent the light did not mean that he no longer would cast a shadow. But then, this particular homunculus had mostly preferred to work in the shadows instead of on the front lines anyway.

And so, it was nice of the weather to be cloudy and wet the day that Pride visited his grave… or at least, what the humans considered to be the grave of Brigadier General Maes Hughes.

Wearing his old Lieutenant Colonel uniform under a thick brown cloak, the former as a cautionary measure just in case he should be seen (one could then claim he was a ghost), Pride made sure he was completely invisible before exiting the homunculi's lair. He kept his head down, kept his path to mostly the less used alleys, and walked briskly with an air that said he knew exactly where he was going. In one of the alleys, he happened to notice a small white cat sleeping in one of the cardboard boxes, but he paid little attention to that. Also, in one of his few ventures out of the alleys onto the main road, Pride happened to catch an illegal immigrant – some black-haired boy from Xing – being taken away by some low-ranked military personnel. He paid little attention to this as well.

Finally, after walking for about fifteen minutes, Pride reached the graveyard. He passed through several rows of stones depicting who was buried where before finally reaching his destination. Standing in front of his grave, Pride – no, _here_ he could be Maes Hughes – stood silently and reflected on everything that had happened.

* * *

He distinctly remembered the gunshot. How could he forget? Stupid Envy, taking the form of his wife. Just like any normal human would have done, he had faltered when he saw the form of the love of his life aiming a gun at him. Just like any normal human, he had suffered a large amount of pain when the bullet had impacted his chest. Just like any normal human, he had collapsed to the ground from blood loss. 

Until that moment, all the facts pointed to him being your average, everyday, normal human. And then he had remembered. Everything.

He distinctly remembered _that_ moment as well. All of the floodgates holding back suppressed memories of his life before the day he had washed up near Roy's house had burst open. He supposed that great traumas could do that to a person. For a moment, he wondered just what had happened for him to forget everything in the first place…

Meh, that wouldn't matter now anyway, now would it?

He touched the back of his neck for a moment, feeling with his fingers the symbol of the serpent devouring its own tail – the Ouroboros mark that he knew was there and marked him as anything but a normal human. For a moment, he thanked whatever had caused his abilities to freeze up when he had gained amnesia. If that mark had shown itself, he never would have…

Again, that wouldn't matter now anyway.

For a moment, just a moment, he recalled a certain conversation that had occurred…

_"Hey? Is it over?"_

_"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes… where have you been all this time?"_

_"Hiding! If things went bad, someone had to live to tell the tale!"_

_"You know, next time, could you consider possibly helping us?"_

_"Forget it! Don't try to drag normal humans like me under the big top with the rest of you freaks!"_

Pride scoffed ironically at that memory, still touching the back of his neck as he muttered sadly, "Yeah, Roy, I'm just your average every-day human."

* * *

That, of course, is when he heard a voice. An innocent, female voice that called out to him, "Excuse me, sir, would you happen to have seen a little white cat run by?" 

He looked up and, seeing a brown-haired young lady looking right at him with no other man in sight, he was shocked. "You can see me?" he wondered aloud, thinking to himself, _just perfect, now what?_

The girl merely shrugged as though this was your average every-day appearance. "Yes. I'm more or less clairvoyant, so I can see everything. And I can usually hear what I see, too, but that isn't of any importance."

Pride then replied, still somewhat shaken, "I'm supposed to be dead, you know." He mentally kicked himself for saying that. _According to the humans, _his inner consciousness told him, _you _are_ dead, you nitwit!_

Said girl merely shrugged again. "Doesn't bother me." And then, as though that entire part of the conversation hadn't just happened, she asked him, "So, have you seen a little white cat run by? She's about yea tall by yea long, with a collar knit from rainbow-colored yarn and sprinkled with tiger-eye gems." Her hands gestured appropriately with her description.

Pride smiled. _Well, she's persistent, I'll give her that._ Then, recalling what he had seen on his way to his present location, he replied, "Actually, yes, I did. When I was walking around a bit earlier, I saw a cat just like that sitting in one of the alleys. I can show you where, if you want."

"Thank you, sir," the girl replied. "That's very kind of you."

* * *

The pair of them walked down the street. Any civilians would have merely seen a young girl talking to herself on occasion as she walked. Perhaps if said civilians had any psychic abilities they would have sensed Pride's presence slightly, but there would be no reason to think he was anything more than just a random spirit. 

Of course, things were mostly quiet until said girl asked, "So, from the way you're dressed, I take it that you were in the military? A Lieutenant Colonel, by the insignia on your uniform."

Pride was slightly shocked by the sudden question, but sighed. "Yeah, I was. I had a lot of friends there too. But one moment of hesitation and one gunshot later… here I am now."

The girl frowned. "I'm sorry if it's a touchy subject, but…"

Pride didn't hear the rest of the question, as he finally noticed that they had been walking through a part of Central that he had intentionally avoided before. And the reason for that avoidance happened to be sitting right on the doorstep of the house they were passing at that moment. Immediately, Pride had ducked into an alley, although that didn't save his companion from being pounced upon by an ecstatic Elysia Hughes.

At least, she was ecstatic until she discovered that she had not, in fact, found her daddy.

Pride snuck around behind the next row of houses, waiting until he was safely an entire block away to stop and wait for his companion. Of course, he couldn't prevent himself from crying slightly.

Lo and behold, the young girl showed up a few minutes later, slightly frazzled but otherwise alright. When she noticed Pride's condition, however, she asked, "Are you alright?"

Pride wiped his eyes and attempted a weak smile. "Yes, I'm fine. I just couldn't bear to see them right now. It's hard enough having to leave my family behind to begin with… but enough about that. Let's keep going; the alley where I saw your cat is just up ahead." And thus, the two of them continued walking down the street.

* * *

Back at the Hughes house, Gracia held a sobbing Elysia in her arms, attempting to comfort her daughter while failing at holding back her own tears. The little girl, however, would not stop babbling about how she had seen her daddy, repeating, "I know I saw him, Mommy! Why won't Daddy come home? He's not gone, I saw him!" 

All Gracia could reply to her daughter between sobs was, "Elysia…"

Inside, Mili hopped about her cage a little bit before staring out the window for a minute and emitting a sad cooing sound.

* * *

"Well, this is where I saw your cat," Pride told his companion when the two of them reached the appropriate alley. "It would appear as though it moved during this time; I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." 

"Oh no," the girl replied, an honest smile on her face. "This is far enough. Thank you so much for setting me on the right track. I just wish I could do something in return."

Pride chuckled. "There isn't really much you can do for a dead man."

"I know that," the girl replied, "but I still feel as though I need to repay you somehow. Like, how alchemists always follow equivalent exchange, and how many of them even bring that principle into their own lifestyles."

Pride turned slightly pale at the mention of alchemy, but the girl appeared to ignore that fact as she thought for a moment. "I know," she said suddenly. "You see, I'm a slight bit of a fortune teller, and you seem to be somewhat lost in your current situation, so I'll offer you some advice." Without waiting for Pride to respond, the girl walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "When it comes to decisions, follow what your own heart tells you. Then, what you do will be true to who you are."

"That is a good piece of advice," Pride replied. "Thank you for that."

"No no," the girl replied. "It was the least I could do."

"Well," Pride replied, "I need to be getting back."

As he walked away, he watched the girl wave after him, calling, "Thank you, sir, and please remember my advice!"

_Kids these days,_ Pride thought to himself. _They're getting wiser by the day, I'll tell you._

(Incidentally, had Pride stayed behind one second longer, he would have seen Roy Mustang enter that same alley from the other end. But that's not really important.)

* * *

The next day, Pride dared once again to venture outside. This time, however, he didn't go toward his grave. No, his target was his old house and his human family. Regardless of how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, he just had to see them again. 

On his way there, he happened to pass by a news stand. The headline of the day read in bright bold letters, "2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross, Convicted as the Murderer of Brigadier General Maes Hughes". Pride scoffed at how ignorant the military could be; if he was investigating, he would have looked for a lot more evidence before making a conviction.

But then, why would he be investigating his own death?

Several minutes later, Pride had almost reached his old house. Gathering the courage, he had made it to the door and was about to knock when who should show up to visit but Winry Rockbell.

Needless to say, this interruption caused Pride to dart into the nearby alley out of fear once again. And when Elysia answered the door excitedly, she was let down once again to find out that it wasn't really her daddy at the door (even though she could have sworn she felt him there).

And as Pride watched Gracia escort Winry into the house, he put his hand on his forehead, muttering to himself, "I'm such a coward…"

* * *

_Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to Serina Kat, whose review of chapter 10 was very inspiring. I will be attempting to take many of your points into account, and I hope that this chapter is to your liking._

_Sorry it took so long to write this. Truth be told, I'm not quite happy with the ending of this chapter, but I don't know exactly how else to do it. But the good news is that I know exactly where I want to go with this. In fact, I'd estimate there are approximately five more chapters and an epilogue to go. Until next time though, please review!_


	12. XII

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. XII .

The Elric brothers visited the Hughes household later that day for two reasons: firstly, because they had to pick up Winry, who, after hearing about Maes' death, had went there in order to confirm it; secondly, because they felt they needed to apologize for dragging the now-Brigadier General into this.

After hearing their story, however, Gracia merely smiled and said, "If he really died because he was trying to help others, that sounds just like what he would do. Even in the past, he kept poking his nose into other people's affairs, trying to help them, even at his own expense… but the disadvantages were heavily outweighed by the happiness he gained." Patting her sleepy daughter's head, she finished, "If you give up now, the death of my husband would have been in vain."

The Elrics appeared to be significantly affected by Gracia's little speech, but they could not find the words to say before they left. After the brothers had left, however, Gracia could no longer suppress the sadness that had been brought out once again, and she burst into tears.

Elysia, slightly more awake now, attempted to comfort her mother, saying, "Mommy, why are you crying? Daddy will come home. He will come home, and then we'll all be happy again." This, however, only proved to make Gracia's tears flow more freely.

In the corner, Mili cooed in a depressed manner.

* * *

Pride was not feeling very narcissistic. In fact, he felt more like a hypocritical coward than anything. After all, that night, he had told Gracia that he would rather live with her and Elysia his entire life than regain his memories, and now look at him. Sure, it hadn't exactly been his _choice_ or anything, but still…

He tried to hide his lacking in his namesake by remaining invisible, even to the other homunculi; he didn't even let "Father" see his face. "Father" took it merely as his "son" feeling particularly prideful and let him be; he never guessed, even for a second, that the homunculus' abilities hid not narcissism, but shame and a growing depression.

This continued for several days: Pride remained invisible to the outside world, refusing to leave his designated area of home base except to check the headlines for a few brief minutes. One night, however, he felt the urge to just sit out in the open; thus, Pride left the base in preference of a seat on a building's rooftop. Randomly, he decided to use the exit that lead out of Laboratory 3; going through the padlocked gate was no issue for him, although he had to catch his breath for a minute after shifting his atoms.

And, of course, through said exit (although they were using it as an entrance) came an odd suit of armor he had not seen before, as well as the familiar forms of Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Alphonse Elric, and a man that he could only guess was Jean Havoc. Pride pondered this for a minute, wondering what the heck they could be doing, going in that direction, but he decided to worry about it later.

* * *

Several minutes later, Pride had found a fairly comfortable seat on the roof of one of Central's older buildings. Okay, the windows were broken below, and there was a slight creak in the shingles if one stepped on them just so, but Pride still found it fairly comfortable.

At least, until he noticed the battle down below.

It was your average battle: Envy and Gluttony against a pair of other people. Pride vaguely recognized the male of the pair as the illegal immigrant he had seen just a few days before; he could guess that the one in the mask was the boy's ally.

Now, usually Pride would have probably sat back and watched the fight without much of a care, or he would have left the area before anyone noticed (not that they really could), but he certainly would not usually have interfered. (Hence his hiding in the alley when Scar had been attacking the Elric brothers that time back then. The reasons behind might be lost, but old habits die hard.) However, this situation was different, as Envy looked as though he was about to reveal his true form. If allowed to proceed, he would have probably frightened any civilians that happened to be in the area, which would in turn compromise the secrecy of the homunculi, which unfortunately had to be kept… well, secret.

Therefore, Pride stood up from his seat and, far enough away to avoid any type of detection other than auditory, he called out, "What do you think you are doing?"

The fighting instantly stopped, and Envy shouted back, "Pride, is that you? Why are you here?" It was obvious that the palm tree was quite annoyed; Gluttony appeared to be merely intimidated.

Pride then called back in a slightly bored manner, "You failed to complete your mission, and you made a spectacle of yourself _in public_. Not only that, but you let someone trespass into our lair. What a shame." He let out a loud, partially fake, sigh.

Shocked, Envy yelled back, "Our lair… was intruded?!?"

In a manner that seemed to him to be more stern than usual, Pride called back, "Envy, you are being a bit too careless. I believe it is time you retreated for today."

"But…" Envy started to argue, but Pride became irritated that this had gone on so long. Envy, the guy who had shot him, was trying to argue with him and get his own way. Again.

"Silence, you scamp," Pride retorted, a tone of warning and slight anger in his voice. "Do you dare to literally make a public display of your disgraceful self even more than you already have?"

Envy could find no way to reply to this, instead settling to retreat.

Pride, seeing that there was nothing more to say, turned away to leave. Half of him was saying, _Something tells me that kid is going to become important to us later. Although helping him was not exactly the intention, this might work out well._

The other half of him was thinking smugly, _Take that, Envy._

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. The next one may also be kind of short, as a warning. The one after that, however, should hopefully make up for that. I'm planning that one to be quite long. Until the next chapter, however, I don't suppose you could leave a small review? Please? -bunny eyes-_


	13. XIII

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

**WARNING: If you have not read chapters 54 and 55 of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga and do not want to be spoiled, TURN BACK NOW!!!! This chapter contains EXTREME spoilers for those chapters! Previous spoilers had been relatively MINOR in comparison with this EXTREMELY HUGE PLOT SPOILER!**

I just felt I'd give you fair warning…

* * *

. XIII .

_Damn it, Wrath, _Pride thought to himself miserably as he walked away. _Why did you have to push those particular buttons?_

Due to sleepless nights all alone just staring at the wall, he had lost all sense of time at this point, but Pride knew it had been at least a week since the incident beneath the third laboratory. Lust had been killed (which Pride took in a completely neutral manner), two "human sacrifices" had been injured and almost killed by the aforementioned now deceased homunculus (which worried Pride merely because at least a small part of him still considered said "human sacrifices" to be his friends), and the worst thing about it was, Envy had not been harmed one bit other than by those Xingish people.

And then, of course, several days later, bring in an Ishballan serial killer who attempted to kill yet another "human sacrifice" or two, only later proven to have been targeted in order to bring out the homunculi themselves. And then, there was the news that Gluttony had been captured by said "human sacrifices". And now, of course, while talking with Wrath, the younger homunculus had implied in his speech that Pride's longing to return to the humans was _that_ obvious.

_After all, it can't be _that_ obvious, can it?_

Pride had made himself invisible, but he was so distracted that he walked slightly too close to where "Father" sat reading yet another alchemical libram. Bending the light could prevent people from seeing him, but not from feeling the wind in his wake. And thus, "Father" looked up from his reading and asked, "Is something the matter, Pride?"

"Nothing, 'Father'," Pride responded in a neutral tone before walking off, back to his room.

* * *

It was several days later, that much he knew. He had gotten used to quiet, as the other homunculi were usually either in the dungeons (Pride had no clue what they would possibly want to do down there, but then, he had never expressed any interest in knowing about any prisoners to begin with) or out patrolling the city (and, Pride added to himself, getting their rear ends kicked by people from a certain country out East), and "Father" was constantly reading. And of course, Pride was stuck inside – "Father's" new policy stating that it was too dangerous for him to go outside, what with people who could sense homunculi on the loose and all. Geeze, what did he think Pride was going to go do, get himself killed or something? 

So imagine Pride's surprise when Gluttony shows up at headquarters, with Alphonse Elric in tow. It wasn't every day a "human sacrifice" showed up at headquarters itself, much less willingly, which was part of the reason why Pride decided to watch (invisibly of course) from a higher platform.

And, more surprising, out of Gluttony's stomach several minutes later came Edward Elric, Envy (in his "true" form, much to Pride's shown distaste but secret mockery), and… that Xingish boy who Envy and Gluttony had been fighting several days before. Pride had never actually learned his name…

If it was possible for things to get any more surprising, it was this: "Father" then decided to take the Philosopher's Stone that he had obtained from Greed and inject it into said Xingish boy, creating a new Greed.

And, if that wasn't surprising enough, said Xingish boy actually _wanted_ to become a homunculus, even though he knew the costs.

That, and the stone didn't reject him; instead, it was accepted completely into his system, although the prominent soul that resulted was neither of the boy nor of the first Greed.

Down below, the other homunculi eagerly accepted this new Greed as their own "brother", while the other "human sacrifices" were aghast at what had happened.

Pride merely considered the matter. _Well,_ he thought, _I suppose if I had chosen not to prevent Envy from killing that boy, this would not have happened. Depending on the situation, however, that could still prove either advantageous or not. We will just have to wait and see. I find it amazing that the stone did not reject that boy though; he must have an overwhelming desire for something._

_

* * *

_

Later that night, Pride was just wandering headquarters aimlessly and invisibly. He managed to find the new Greed sitting on the roof. After standing around for a few minutes, Pride turned to leave, but he stopped when Greed asked, "So, which one are you? Pride, or Sloth?"

Pride's first reply, of course, was a simple, "How did you know I was there?"

Greed then pointed at himself, saying, "The other guy inside me noticed you. I'm not sure how, but he seems to be able to sense other homunculi. So, which one are you?"

"Pride, of course," was the reply. "And you're the new Greed, I take it. Welcome to the human-free nut house."

Greed's expression seemed to change for a moment, and then he said, "Nut house, huh. If I'd known that, maybe I wouldn't have joined."

Pride did not comment on what Greed had said, but he did blink in confusion when Greed then hit himself in the head and cried out, "Damn you, why do you keep coming out like that?!?" Then, apologetically to Pride, "The guy inside me keeps coming out at random moments… I don't know how to shut him up."

"He took you in and is now attempting to gain control," Pride stated. "With that amount of avarice, it's no wonder that boy wasn't rejected. Did you know, it took the scientists twelve tries to find a suitable host for Wrath."

"That many, huh," Greed pondered, leaning back. "Well, this guy certainly wants a lot. Just at this instant, he wants me to let him write a note to some human girl. He won't even tell me what the note's topic would be or anything, just that he has to get news to her."

_That must be the girl he was fighting along side that night,_ Pride thought. _Unwilling to break connections to the humans regardless of how impossible it may be to maintain them…_A vision suddenly flashed of a sad woman and an even sadder little girl who would probably just be celebrating her half birthday right now.

Aloud, Pride stated, "Well, if you ever need any assistance with anything, don't hesitate to ask me. If the other person inside you is really able to sense other homunculi, you should have no problem finding me regardless of where I have hidden myself."

"And why should you help me?" Greed asked in a teasing sort of manner.

"Please," Pride replied. "Is it so wrong for one to help out their 'younger brother' in times of need?" And with that, he walked away.

Greed laughed. "Don't worry, I understand completely." And, with a slight smirk, _and you know I always repay my debts anyway._

* * *

_Author's Note: And with that, only three more chapters and an epilogue. Please review and tell me what you think._


	14. XIV

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. XIV .

"Miss Sheska, may I ask you a question please?"

Sheska looked up from the notes she was copying down. The job that Lieutenant Col- that is, Brigadier General Hughes had secured for her was sometimes very long and tedious, but always quite rewarding; however, she did feel that she could take a break from it for a minute, especially to reply to Elysia Hughes, who had somehow mysteriously appeared in front of her desk.

"Of course you may, Elysia," Sheska replied. "What is it?"

Elysia looked into Sheska's eyes seriously and asked, "What does Daddy do for his work, and why is it taking him so long to get it done?"

Sheska blinked once, twice, completely dumbstruck. How could she explain Maes Hughes' death to his daughter any better than her mother could? "Well, um, you see…"

"And please don't tell me that he's dead or anything like that," Elysia stated. "Because Daddy's _not_ dead. I know he's been trying to come home lately but can't for some reason. Something keeps pulling him away. He told me he would come straight home when he was done with his work, but he hasn't come home yet, so it has to be because he has so much work!" Her voice became more urgent. "Please! You've got to tell me what he does and why they won't let him come home! Why won't they let him come home?"

Sheska was frozen by Elysia's begging, as well as the fact that she knew that the child would never accept the truth that her father was, in fact, dead. The bookkeeper was, in fact, only saved when Gracia Hughes, who had been visiting Fuhrer Bradley to go over certain affairs once again, finally entered the room to recollect her daughter.

"Elysia," Gracia said as she noticed what her daughter was doing, "Sheska has a lot of work that she has to do. I'm sure that your question is important, but could you please let her do her work?"

After Elysia thought this over for a minute, she turned back to Sheska and requested, "If you see the people that Daddy is working for, could you ask them to let him come home? Mommy and I miss him very much."

Sheska looked dumbstruck for a moment, but she eventually swallowed and said weakly, "I'll do my best."

Elysia smiled and replied, "Thank you so much, Miss Sheska!!" The mother and daughter then exited the room after Gracia had quickly apologized for her daughter's misbehavior.

Sheska smiled as she saw them out, and then she returned to copying down her notes. Curiously enough, her assignment of the day happened to be copying old birth records, one of which happened to be that of Maes Hughes. _It was kind of weird, _she recalled. _When I read it, his year of birth appeared to be kind of smudged, as though it had been erased multiple times._

She pondered this for a few moments, but then shrugged it off and went back to her notes.

* * *

_Everything was black except for the water, a thin sheet of water that the three of them somehow managed to stand on top of without sinking to the bottom. Elysia and her parents were the only things that were able to be seen in the darkness, except for the occasional ripple that would pierce the water._

_The three of them, Elysia, Gracia, and Maes, stood together, Elysia between her parents and holding both of their hands, Maes on the right and Gracia on the left. Nothing was happening, but that was okay. Elysia and her parents were together, and there was nothing that could tear them apart…_

_Suddenly, all three of them sprouted wings like those of a bird. However, while Elysia's and Gracia's were as white as the snow in the winter, Maes' wings were nearly as black as the area around them, only distinguishable by a slight blue tint._

_Elysia and Gracia then leapt into the air and began to fly, but Elysia stopped suddenly when she noticed that Maes had remained on the water and was not following them. She reached out a hand to him, saying, "Daddy, come with us!"_

_Maes responded with a sad shake to the head, signaling that he would not, or could not._

_Elysia was confused and asked again. "Daddy, please come with us!"_

_Maes shook his head again._

"_Daddy, please! Why won't you come with us?"_

In her room, Elysia tossed slightly in her sleep, murmuring, "Why won't you come, Daddy…?"

Mili had never had any specific sleeping patterns, and this night was no different as the little dove watched Elysia in her sleep. She looked longingly at the window, the blinds of which had been left open, and attempted to reach her head through the bars of her cage. Unable to get very far, she retreated and cooed sadly.

_

* * *

An owl hooted in a nearby forest, its sound shattering the almost dead silence that previously only the crickets had reminded was actually very much alive. But Gracia paid no mind to that as she walked up the hill that night with Maes Hughes, at the time only her boyfriend. He had invited her on that moonlit picnic because, in his own words, "I overheard some of the higher-ups saying that this display of fireworks is supposed to be unmatched by any predecessors, completely unique in their beauty. Like you." At the time, she had been quite flattered by that comment, but she hadn't realized quite what he had meant._

_They had chosen a spot to watch it along the brook that ran along the outskirts of Central, a little bit upstream of where Maes had washed up several years before. The moon was out, and the stars glistened in the cloudless sky. It would certainly be a perfect night for fireworks._

_Gracia and Maes made their way to the spot they had chosen days before. However, while the river had not quite split, the land was actually quite raised up from the level of the river._

_Gracia was not paying complete and total attention to her footing and slipped, falling backwards. Maes reached out his hand to grab hers…_

…_but something pulled him back, preventing him from reaching her hand. Terrified, Maes tried to push forward and grasp Gracia's hand, crying out her name._

_Also terrified, Gracia called out Maes' name as she fell farther and farther. Time seemed to slow down as she fell farther and farther away from Maes' grasp, but somehow she never hit the bottom. She just kept falling and falling…_

Gracia woke up suddenly, panting heavily and damp with a cold sweat. She took a minute to calm herself down. After all, she had to be strong for Elysia's sake. But that nightmare had seemed so realistic, so detailed, so… real…

"Maes…" she whispered hoarsely as a single tear escaped her strong façade.

_

* * *

Drip. Drip. Somewhere, an unidentified pipe had evidently sprung a leak. The water was dripping quite loudly, even if it was slow enough to notate that it was only one drop at a time. He made a mental note to fix that pipe later._

_Then again… there weren't any pipes visible in this place. It was completely black, even the walls; it was as though he was floating in an unidentified space._

"_Daddy? Daddy, where are you?"_

_He turned toward the voice of his daughter. She was calling out to him… from where, however, he could not tell, and soon he was looking around frantically, trying to find the source of her voice._

"_Maes, please come home…"_

_That was Gracia's voice calling out to him now. He strained to reach out and find her as well, but something held him back…_

"_You belong with _us_, Pride…"_

_That would be what was holding him back: the other homunculi who did not want to let him go. He strained to attempt to find his wife and daughter, but his brethren just pulled him deeper and deeper…_

"_Daddy?"  
_

"_Pride…"_

"_Maes?"_

"_Pride…"_

"_Maes!"_

"Pride? You okay, Pride?"

Pride opened his eyes suddenly, panting somewhat as though he had been significantly spooked. He looked around frantically for a moment before calming himself down. _That_ would be why he had avoided meditations like this in the past. It was a good thing he was still invisible…

He became suddenly aware that the new Greed was staring at him, a confused look on his face.

It had been several months since the new Greed had been born, and already Pride had decided this new homunculus to be trustworthy. After all, apart from his inner human popping out whenever any aspect of humanity was even mentioned, there was really no difference from the original.

"It was just a nightmare," Pride responded to Greed's concerns. "Nothing particularly bad. So, why did you come to see me? I take it there would be some reason why your other half decided to help you locate me."

Greed nodded before pointing to himself. "This guy… he just won't shut up! Everywhere I go, he's always ranting on about this or that. And he's very loud. You probably can't hear him, but when you share a body, it gets really annoying."

Greed's expression changed, which caused Pride to back up slightly; whenever Greed's expression suddenly changed, that usually meant that his other half was butting in. The boy then turned to the side and yelled, "Yeah, well guess what, you're annoying too!"

Greed then regained control and turned over his other shoulder, yelling, "Yeah, well you let me in willingly. I have to put up with you against my will!"

The boy then took over again. "Oh, you want to fight, huh?"

Greed regained control again. "Bring it on!"

Pride just stared at the scene that played out in front of him. Greed appeared to have taken over one half of the boy's body, while the boy had managed to obtain control of the other half. The two halves were now attacking each other; the boy was literally rolling around on the floor, gathering dust as his limbs all attacked each other at once.

_That's mature,_ Pride thought as he watched this play out. Finally, after a few minutes, he could stand no more and cried out, "Enough!"

Immediately, the boy stopped, his arms and legs apparently in some sort of bind impossible to get into usually, and looked up at Pride, who continued, "So, Greed, what does your other half want in exchange for him being quiet?"

Greed immediately regained control, straightened out his limbs, and dusted himself off. "He wants me to let him write another letter to some female friend of his. I don't quite get why he would want to, and I have no clue why I would know where this girl is to begin with, so I've been refusing him, but he won't shut up, so… that's why I came to you." He got onto his hands and knees. "Please, Pride, would you help me? He told me that if I let him write a letter to this girl and make sure it's delivered, he would shut up…"

Pride thought this over for a moment before replying, "I think I can help you with that. In fact, I can do better: I can deliver letters between the boy and his friend on a regular basis. More letters will keep him contented longer, correct?"

"You would really do that?" Greed was nearly in tears of joy. Finally, he might be able to get some peace and quiet…

"On one condition, of course. I have to be allowed to read every letter that goes between the two of them. Language barriers are no problem; I took the time long ago to learn the Xingish language. And I have the right to report anything I deem inappropriate, such as any discussion of rebellion or anything of the sort, directly to _Father_."

He had, in fact, always prided himself on his linguistic skills. Perhaps that was part of the reason why he had been such a helpful member of the Investigations Department.

Greed thought this over for a minute, as though making sure the boy he shared a body with agreed to the conditions, and then replied, "Those conditions are just fine. Thank you so much!" He then paused. "But then, how would you find this guy's friend?"

Pride smirked. "Unless I am mistaken, that guy's friend can also sense homunculi, correct? In that case, I just have to make sure _she_ finds _me_ the first time."

* * *

Several hours later, Pride wished he knew a better way to find the girl.

The boy had wasted no time in writing the letter, making his hand scribble furiously while Greed sat there, looking away and pretending that he didn't care. So now, it was Pride's job to find the girl and deliver the letter.

The only problem was, one generally had to be close to a homunculus to sense its presence. Which could, of course, only happen if Pride managed to get within her range, and of course, that meant that _he_ had to find _her._

He was just about to take a short break when he somehow managed to find her, standing alone on a rooftop, staring off at nothing in particular. She looked quite different from when Pride had seen her that one time. Then again, back then she had been wearing a mask, and right now she was not, instead sporting a large, black overcoat. One of the sleeves of said coat did not appear to have an arm, matching the fact that her arm had been cut off recently.

The girl, of course, could not see Pride, as he had remained invisible, but she did immediately sense his presence. Turning around quickly, she demanded, "Who is there? Show yourself!"

Pride remained invisible but replied, "Ah, so you _are_ the girl I was looking for. That makes things a lot easier."

The girl scowled. "Who are you?"

"No need to be on the defensive," Pride replied. "My name is Pride. I'm an ally of Greed, and I'm here on behalf of the one you call Ling."

The girl remained alert, refusing to exit her defensive stance. However, she did reply, "You know Young Master? Tell me, where is he?"

"I cannot say," Pride replied. "However, I am going to offer you a proposition. I will deliver small letters from 'Young Master', as you call him, to you, and if you wish me to, I will deliver some from you to him. The only condition is that I be allowed to read each letter and report anything I deem too rebellious in nature. I honestly don't care what you two write to each other, but I can't have you planning anything that could bring down the other homunculi's plans and, subsequently, get me in trouble. Are the conditions satisfactory?"

The girl replied, "If I was to attempt anything of the sort, Young Master would not require that he know ahead of time. I accept your terms, Pride."

"That's good," Pride replied, taking out the boy's letter. "I have his first letter now. You can leave any letters you write and wish for me to deliver in the crevice where I will put this first one. I will come here once per day to deliver anything he has written, if anything, and pick up anything that you have written. Is that okay?" When the girl nodded in approval, he placed the letter in said crevice, a small crack in the building's roof that had probably been caused by rapid heating and cooling.

The girl bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Pride."

"Please," Pride replied, "don't mention it." As he walked away, he thought, _well, this is one reason for me to get out more._

_

* * *

Author's Note: I hate exams. This would have been up last night, but I had to study for AP Chemistry, so it's up today. Sorry for the wait. This was one of my favorite chapters to write though. I've been visualizing the dream sequences since soon after I began this. Anyway, before I start the three-part finale (two official chapters and an epilogue), could you please review?_


	15. XV

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. XV .

Several months passed. Pride continued to deliver notes back and forth between Greed's human half and said boy's human friend. Generally, the notes were quite dull, each of them merely telling the other how much they worried about the other one but how the other should not worry about them. Sometimes, Pride dreaded having made it a requirement that he be able to read each note, but he had to, or else he might have been liable if, say, they were to plot something behind his back.

Some of the notes could be quite interesting though, such as one from the boy to the girl that partially read,

"_Greed has taken to sitting on rooftops a lot. I think all of the homunculi like that for some reason; Pride is often found up there, and you found Envy up there once. I've asked him a few times why he enjoys sitting up there so much, but he didn't answer. Not that it matters much; I really have come to like it myself. I just don't quite understand why they have such an obsession as sitting on rooftops – they are sort of like pigeons in that way."_

He wasn't sure why, but that particular comment particularly stood out to Pride as something more than just witty. But he shrugged it off.

* * *

_Father_ was getting worried. 

Pride had been going outside all too often nowadays, often several times per day. And no matter how much the homunculus had tried to hide it, _Father_ had, in fact, noticed that his favorite _son_ had been significantly less, well, prideful lately. Combine those two points, and that would be the cause behind his worry.

The only possible explanation that _Father_ could come up with, no matter how intelligent he was, was that Pride was going off to see the humans that he had believed to be his family for fifteen years. It was a groundless theory that could have easily been knocked down had _Father_ actually sat down and, say, _talked_ to Pride about things (what a concept), but _Father_ convinced himself to believe it. And, as such, he convinced himself that the best way to deal with the situation was to eliminate the source of the problem.

Which, of course, is why he gave Envy the particular mission that he did.

Only after Envy had saluted somewhat mockingly and assured him that the work would be done did _Father_ begin to have doubts. Putting his head in his hands, he murmured solemnly, "Please forgive me if I have made the wrong decision, my son."

* * *

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do, Doctor?" Gracia asked as she and Elysia were escorted out by the veterinarian. "Mili was Elysia's birthday present last year from her father, who is now deceased, so she means a lot to her, and it would be devastating if something were to happen." 

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hughes," the veterinarian replied, "but I have never seen anything similar in a bird before. It's almost as if it's suffering from a disorder similar to human depression, but it appears well cared for, so that can't be the case. I'll look through my books tonight though, and I'll call you if I find anything."

"Thank you, Doctor," Gracia said gratefully, bowing with respect as the man closed his office's door.

Elysia, who was holding tightly onto Mili's cage, looked up at her mother and asked, "Is Mili going to be okay, Mommy?"

Gracia attempted to smile and replied, "Elysia, the veterinarian says that he doesn't know what is wrong, but that he'll do his best to make Mili all better. The best thing you can do right now is stay strong. That way, Mili will have support while she is recovering."

"Okay, Mommy," Elysia replied, putting on a smile. Turning to the bird, the little girl then said, "Don't worry, Mili, I'll make sure I stay strong so you can get better!"

It was quiet on the street that day – significantly quieter than usual. In fact, there wasn't a single other person on the street. This caused Gracia to be somewhat nervous, but she didn't show it. That is, until she saw that they were, in fact, _not_ alone…

Standing directly across the street was a young man who looked no older than in his thirties. His black hair was arranged in a somewhat familiar manner, a small cowlick hanging down into his bespectacled face. In fact, the man looked impossibly similar to…

"Maes?" Gracia whispered to the wind in disbelief.

The man, as though he had such acute hearing that he could actually hear Gracia's speech, looked up and, seeing the Hughes family women across the street, smiled. "It's been a long time."

Elysia only then noticed the man across the street, but instead of recognizing him instantly as Gracia had, she hid timidly behind her mother's legs. Gracia hardly noticed, however, as she walked slightly closer. "Maes… is that really you?"

Hughes nodded. "I'm sorry for not returning to you sooner, but there were complications at work that would put you in danger if I were to leave. In fact, a great danger is on the horizon for all of us, and if we don't leave the country now, we won't be able to escape it. I don't want to lose either of you again." He held out his hand. "Come here; I'll take you to where it's safe."

Gracia nearly burst into tears of joy. Ignoring the fact that people don't just tend to return from the dead like this, she first walked and then ran across the street to join him. Elysia, however, remained behind, clutching Mili's cage as though her life depended on it and refusing to move.

It took a moment for the happy couple to notice that their daughter had not followed suit, but when they did, Hughes called to her, "Darling, please come to me."

Elysia shook her head, saying timidly, "You're… you're not Daddy."

Hughes took on a slightly questioning look before replying, "Why, sweetheart, of course I'm your father. How could I possibly be anyone else?"

Elysia's reply was simple. "Daddy always calls me by my first name. He never calls me by pet names. Sir, you don't even know my name, do you?"

For a split second, Hughes appeared slightly taken aback by this, but he quickly recovered and sighed. "I know it's hard to believe me, since I'm supposed to be dead. But it really is me."

"No!" Elysia shouted. "You're not Daddy! Daddy would have run up to me and hugged me and started crying and not let go until I told him that I couldn't breathe, while you are calmly telling me to come to you."

"What do you mean?…" Gracia was becoming highly confused by now, but her daughter still had some ranting to do.

"And also, sir, whenever I'm near Mommy or most other people, they all have only one piece to them. When I'm near Daddy, he seems to have a few pieces, three or four at most, that are working together. But you… I can't count your pieces, and they're all fighting against each other. That's why you can't be Daddy."

Gracia was visibly quite confused by this. "Just what do you mean?" She then turned to Hughes and asked, "Maes, I have no clue why she's acting this way."

Hughes, however, had suddenly lost all signs of his typical cheerfulness, instead hiding his eyes in somewhat of a rage. A chill wind appeared to pick up as he muttered, "I knew his daughter was intelligent… but how the hell does she have the same ability as that foreign woman?"

Gracia and Elysia could only stand there terrified as the man transformed before their eyes into a somewhat shorter, feminine boy with long, palm-like hair. Both of them went into a state of shock at this, Gracia more than her daughter, while Mili resorted to a terrified chattering and beating her wings at the cage's walls.

"My mission was to merely remove the two of you from the country so that you would cease to be a nuisance," Envy said quietly, "but because you were unwilling to just go without a question, I'm afraid I can't let either of you live." After quickly striking Gracia to the ground, he rushed at Elysia, his arm transformed into a sharp spike.

Elysia defended herself on sheer impulse by shielding herself with Mili's cage. The bars broke open immediately on contact, and although Elysia was unharmed, it shattered the cage wall completely. Mili, in a state of panic, immediately took off and flew away, far away from the perceived danger regardless of Elysia's call of "Mili, come back!"

"Die!" Envy shouted, bringing his arm up to strike Elysia once again; the discarded birdcage, now in tatters, would not protect her again. Gracia could only watch helplessly as the evil homunculus brought his arm down to strike her daughter.

And Elysia probably would have died right there, too, except for a small blade thrown from quite a distance away that slashed Envy's arm before embedding itself in the ground. Envy yowled in pain, gripping his now bleeding arm while glaring up at the roof top. "What the hell was that for, Pride?"

A calm, yet obviously extremely annoyed, voice rang out from the roof top, "Envy, what exactly were you doing, attacking _uninvolved _civilians?" The word 'uninvolved' was specifically emphasized. "_Father_ won't like you making yourself known to people who are _not involved_."

Envy scowled before telling Gracia and Elysia, "Well, ladies, you narrowly escaped your demise, but I will return, and when I do, you'll wish you had come with me in the first place." He then quickly leapt off, making it as though he had not been there.

Elysia's only reaction was to push herself up with her hands and look off toward the building on which her and her mother's savior had been standing. She was having a little bit of trouble doing so in her state of shock, but she still managed to reach her hand out toward the building toward the retreating figure and call out weakly, "Daddy… Daddy …"

* * *

Conveniently, Edward and Alphonse Elric happened to be in Central that particular night, after a particularly rough outing. Neither of them thought that Warrant Officer… oh, excuse me, now he's a Second Lieutenant, and he wholly deserved the promotion; anyway, neither of them thought that Second Lieutenant Vato Falman would ever be the same from the experience, but oh well. That night, the Elric brothers happened to be in Central en route to Rush Valley to check up on one Winry Rockbell (and, admittedly, fix the elder brother's automail arm once again – Winry was definitely going to kill him this time, he knew it). 

And, wouldn't you know it, the quickest path to their hotel just so happened to pass by where Gracia and Elysia had been knocked to the ground. (Gee, isn't that convenient?) They arrived just in time to see Envy leaping away.

Both of them stared in shock at the scene for a moment: Gracia Hughes had been shocked so horribly that she had instinctively reverted to the fetal position. Elysia was slightly more active, although not much better; she was calling for her father (Edward suspected that Envy had used the Brigadier General's form to trick them, but somehow it had been interrupted) and reaching, oddly, toward a building's roof top. Elysia seemed much more badly hurt physically though, having suffered a large number of bird cage shards raining down on top of her.

"What the hell happened here?" Edward cried out in slight frustration, running to the ladies and attempting to help them up. "Are you okay, Mrs. Hughes? Elysia?" After receiving a small response from both of them, he told Alphonse, who hadn't quite moved yet, "Al, help Mrs. Hughes and Elysia to our hotel room. Though I have no clue why, these two were obviously attacked by the homunculi, who may come back to try and finish the job. You keep them safe until I get there."

"What about you, Nii-san?" Alphonse asked, still shocked. "Aren't you going to help them too?"

"I'm calling the Colonel," Ed replied. "Even if he's a total bastard, and even if he can't make it over here to help out, he needs to know about this. I'll get back there as soon as I can, hopefully with help."

"Okay, Nii-san," Al said somewhat hesitantly before coming over and taking Gracia's arm. He left most of the debris behind as he helped Elysia onto his back as well, although he _did_ take one object that he found intriguing – a small throwing knife, obviously thrown from some distance at the Hughes family's attackers. Oddly, it looked just like… but no, it couldn't be…

Ed then ran off to the nearest telephone booth. The inside of the booth still had a distinct smell of blood to it, but Ed hardly noticed it as he dialed the Colonel's number.

* * *

First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, currently employed as the secretary of the Fuhrer, was getting ready to pack up for the day. It had been quite a busy day – those border skirmishes may have been "unavoidable", but they certainly caused quite a ruckus – and it seemed as though she could finally breathe once the clock rolled around to five o'clock. She was certain that Black Hayate would be especially pleased to see her come home and get him his evening meal. 

And then, of course, the phone rang yet again.

For a moment, Riza contemplated whether or not to answer. After all, she was off duty now, and therefore was technically not obligated to do so. However, her intuition finally got the better of her, and she picked up.

"The Fuhrer's office, Lieutenant Hawkeye speaking, how may I be of service?" she asked calmly into the receiver.

The operator on the other line replied calmly, "Colonel Roy Mustang is on the line and requests to speak with you. He claims that it's urgent."

"Put him through," Riza replied, now somewhat worried. Last time something had been urgent like this… no, that wouldn't happen again, right?

Her fears were alleviated when Roy's voice came through the phone. "Riza, you have to listen carefully. Hughes' family was just attacked, and the Elrics need help to keep them safe."

Riza nodded. "I'll go immediately as long as I know where to go." After listening for a minute to the Colonel's instructions, she nodded. "Yes, sir. The Elric brothers' hotel room. I'll be there shortly." She then hung up the phone, picked up her bag, and left the room as quickly as she could.

Little did Hawkeye know, though he was too proud to admit it (or perhaps, more appropriately, he took out his wrath on whoever pointed it out), Fuhrer King Bradley was an excellent eavesdropper. And thus, from behind the door, he closed his normal eye and smiled. "Thank you very much, Miss Hawkeye."

* * *

To say that Pride was unhappy when he and Envy made it back to the underground home of the homunculi would be the understatement of… who knows how long. Of course, he showed just how upset he was by refusing to say a single word to his younger _brother_ all the way there. 

When he finally found his way to where _Father_ was seated, however, Pride broke into a rant. "What is the meaning of this, _Father_?" he asked. "Envy just went out into the open and attacked Gracia and Elysia."

_Father_ turned to Envy, then back to Pride, and sighed. "I'm sorry, Pride. Envy is so incompetent sometimes. I told him merely to escort them out of the country, and yet here he goes nearly killing them. He will face the consequences, I promise."

Pride was dumbstruck. "Escort them… out of the country?!?"

_Father_ nodded sadly. "You haven't been as prideful as you used to be lately, and I thought that the humans that you call your 'family' were part of the cause of that. But as I said, I specifically told Envy not to hurt them…"

Pride interrupted. "You were going to send _my_ family out of the country… because I wasn't being narcissistic enough for you?" He was absolutely shocked by this. He was being punished… for not living up to his sin?

"_When it comes to decisions, follow what your own heart tells you. Then, what you do will be true to who you are."_

The girl with the white kitten's words echoed quietly through Pride's mind, and suddenly, he made up his mind. He replied in a loud, commanding voice, "I'm not full of enough _pride_ for you, is that right, _Father_? Well, there are a lot of definitions of pride. I've just gotten very bored of narcissism as of late. However, if you want me to _be_ narcissistic…

"I am _Pride_.

"I am _narcissism incarnate_.

"I am the _best_.

"I am subordinate to _no one_.

"And _that includes you!_"

Pride then turned around and stormed out of the room. Wrath and Greed had been standing outside the room, not eavesdropping, as Wrath would attest, but simply listening in on the conversation. Wrath quickly slipped Pride a small slip of paper with Xingish writing on it. "I got Greed's other half to translate the location into Xingish for you, so it can't be traced."

Greed continued, "_Father_ is probably going to send Envy after you. I think we can give you about five minutes head start, plus the time he spends looking for you."

Pride bowed quickly before his two youngest siblings. "Thank you both so much."

"No need to thank us," Wrath replied. "If _Father_ tried to do this to Selim, I probably would have done the same thing."

"And besides," Greed replied, although it appeared obvious that his other half was in complete agreement for once, "we owe you one."

And thus, with a hurried wave, Maes Hughes turned invisible and left the homunculi's hideout, not to see it again for a long, long time.

* * *

It was amazing how fast trains could travel these days. Roy Mustang had made it all the way to Central City in only a couple of hours. Then again, he had left his office in a big hurry after calling Hawkeye. 

At this point, Gracia and Elysia were sitting in the Elric brothers' hotel room. Hawkeye and Major Armstrong, who had managed to notice Alphonse helping them and could not resist the urge to offer his assistance, were doing everything they could to calm the two ladies down, while Roy himself was discussing the earlier events with the Elrics and Ran Fan, who had randomly shown up out of nowhere to help out. The current topic of discussion: the blade that had obviously been the weapon that chased off Envy.

"The only fingerprints on it definitely do belong to Brigadier General Hughes," Roy noted, "but that isn't to say that our defender wasn't wearing gloves."

"Well then," Ed replied, "why would they _happen_ to use _his_ throwing knife? Besides, afterwards, Elysia was calling for her father and reaching toward the top of the building which appears to have been from where the knife was thrown."

"But Mr. Hughes died a year ago today," Alphonse countered. "How could he possibly be here?"

"He could be a homunculus," Ran Fan suggested, which received a small snicker from both Elrics and the Colonel. "In that case, he wouldn't be dead. That would explain the knife, as well as Miss Elysia calling out to him."

After the snickering had subsided, Ed replied, "That can't be true. Homunculi are sterile, and Mr. Hughes has a daughter."

"She does have a point," Al mused, "but Elysia's existence proves that Mr. Hughes is not a homunculus."

Armstrong took this opportunity to announce, "I am going to run downstairs and ask the receptionist for some more towels." He then opened the door wide open, exited the room, and forgot to shut the door.

During the time in which Armstrong was absent from the room, unbeknownst to the majority of the room, a mysterious figure entered the room and made its residence in the corner closest to the door. This figure watched the goings on for a few minutes, even through when Armstrong returned with towels (forgetting to close the door once again), and, when this figure felt as though everything would be okay, it turned to leave.

At that moment, however, Elysia pushed herself up from the bed she was on and stared directly at where the figure was standing. Staggering slightly, she managed to stand up, to the utter bewilderment of the other people in the room, most of whom were attempting and failing to get her back into bed, and walk slowly toward the corner.

"Daddy?" she asked. Pretty much everyone else in the room thought she was hallucinating, but she continued. "Daddy, you're here. You're really here." She then ran as fast as her little legs could carry her and hugged what appeared to everyone else to be empty air.

She stayed in this position for a few moments before looking up and asking, "Daddy, why won't you come out? Everyone's missed you so much."

A few moments later, she cried out, "Daddy, I've always known that you were different from everyone else! But I don't mind that! Mommy doesn't mind that either! No one else will mind either, I'm positive! So please, come out!"

A slight breeze picked up in the room, although only really detectable by the finest of hairs. Ran Fan muttered, "Of course, why didn't I notice before?"

Slowly, almost tentatively, the shape of a humanoid male began to materialize in the corner with Elysia. Slowly, features began to take shape – a pair of glasses dirty with grime, a flowing travel cloak that was wrapped around Elysia, black hair with a long cowlick…

And then, when it had all finished, there on the ground knelt Maes Hughes, his neck exposed to reveal a crimson Ouroboros marking on the back.

"Pride…" Ran Fan murmured, not as fazed as everyone else.

"Mr. Hughes?" Ed and Al both jumped about four inches off the ground when they realized what was happening.

"Brigadier General Hughes?!" Half of Riza and Armstrong's brains were attempting to leap in shock as well, while the other half was urging them instead to snap to attention. They satisfied both by merely freezing in place.

"Hughes?" Roy tilted his head. It wasn't as though he wasn't shocked deeply by this, but someone had to stay strong, more or less.

"Maes…?" Gracia managed to whisper, still in a complete state of shock.

Elysia, meanwhile, said nothing, merely settling to snuggle closer to her father and refusing to let go of him.

_

* * *

Author's Note: For those of you who don't know, "Nii-san" is Japanese for "brother". I just think that "Nii-san" sounds better than "brother", and therefore, I use that when Al is talking about Ed. If you don't like it, I'm sorry. _

_I am officially declaring this fic AU. Simply because the details are obviously not going to be completely true to the manga from this point onward – after all, who knows what is really going to happen after the current arc in the North. But oh well. I only have two more chapters to go! (And I know exactly what I'm starting afterward… there's this one particular plot bunny that has been nagging and nagging and nagging to be written, although most Fullmetal Alchemist fans won't be interested in it… but I won't start it until after I finish this one. I'm not even going to say what the fandom is at this time. I promised myself that I wouldn't until after this one is done!) The final two chapters should be out… some time before March 15. Yes, I've set myself a due date. Until then, could you please tell me what you think?_


	16. XVI

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. XVI .

"So, what do _you_ think we should do about this, Colonel?" Edward asked. The Fullmetal, Flame, and Strong Arm Alchemists, as well as Alphonse, Riza, and Ran Fan, were sitting in the main area of the room, huddled in a circle next to the bed in which Gracia was resting. Elysia was, at this time, in a side room, refusing to let go of Maes.

Roy replied calmly, "Well, his story checks out more or less, but there is still the possibility that he could be Envy in disguise."

"No," Ran Fan replied. "He is definitely Pride, not Envy."

"And how exactly do you know that for certain?" Roy asked. Ran Fan, consequently, walked silently over to a corner and gloomed, upset at her special abilities being unappreciated.

"Whether he's Envy or not," Al pointed out, "the fact remains that he has an Ouroboros tattoo, and therefore, he's a homunculus. Therefore, he can't be Mr. Hughes. Homunculi are sterile, and Elysia is…"

"…N-no…" Everyone started as Gracia pushed herself up in her bed and struggled to speak. "Th-that's not true... My twin sister… she died during childbirth, and her husband died the same day… so we took Elysia in as our own daughter. But Maes… he and I could never… have children of our own. The doctors… they said so…"

Gracia then collapsed back onto her back, breathing heavily. Armstrong immediately got up from his seat and got a new damp towel for her, announcing, "A kind lady such as Gracia Hughes should not have to experience this kind of stress. The one who put this upon her should be ashamed of himself!"

After a brief silence, Riza stated, "Okay, so we've determined that Elysia is not, in fact, the Brigadier General's biological daughter."

"So it's possible then," Ed replied, "but I still don't trust this situation."

"_If_ what he says is true though," Roy stated, "then Envy will very likely attack us here fairly soon. If _he_ is Envy, he's probably planning a surprise attack. Either way, we need to be on our guard."

As if right on cue, the small group heard Elysia's scream from the side room. Immediately, everyone got up from their seats and dashed into the other room: Ed and Al prepared their arms for alchemy, Roy instinctively pulled out his gloves (of course hoping he wouldn't have to use them – this was a hotel, for crying all night, and there were civilians that could get badly hurt in the flames), and Riza pulled out her gun. Armstrong, however, stayed behind to tend to Gracia, and Ran Fan was still glooming in the corner.

As the situation became clear, it became quickly obvious that Maes Hughes had been telling the truth on the matters at hand. Envy had broken through the window and now stood with a malicious look in his eyes, ready to strike at any moment. Maes, meanwhile, was standing with his arms outstretched in front of Elysia, obviously with every intent of protecting her to his own death (which, obviously, probably wouldn't come very fast).

"Go away, mean person!" Elysia cried out from behind her father. "Go away, and don't hurt Daddy or Mommy or me any more!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, little missy," Envy replied. "I have some unfinished business with your father, and your death would prove for just enough revenge, I would think."

"Why are you attacking him?" Roy shouted from the doorway as he got ready to strike with his flames.

Maes shouted back, "Stay out of this, Roy! I don't want you to get involved too."

"Why am I attacking Pride, you ask?" Envy chuckled in amusement at this question. "I'll tell you why. Pride is the eldest, and he's always been _Father_'s favorite. And yet look at him – he's constantly avoiding his duties, thinking he's _better_ than us and that he can lay all of his work on us."

_Old habits certainly die hard, huh…_ Ed, Roy and Riza thought simultaneously, thinking back to all of the times Maes Hughes had hidden from battles or pushed his paperwork onto Sheska.

Envy then continued, "I, meanwhile, am Envy. I want… no, I _deserve_ all of the attention and praise that _Father_ gave Pride. I did all of my required duties _and more_, and yet here who got recognized? Pride! And now he's got a little human family that _loves_ him. And yet here I am with squat! And yet I'm the one who deserves it!"

"That does not give you the right to attack the innocent!" Edward shouted.

"I told you to stay out of this!" Maes warned again. "You'll only get hurt if you get involved."

"And there you are going soft again, Pride," Envy dulled his voice down to a whisper. "You know what? You've lived too long – you deserve nothing less than death."

And with that, Envy attacked, and Maes countered. Elysia could only sit and watch as the two of them exchanged blow after blow; however, while Envy appeared to be the stronger fighter of the two, it was apparent that Maes was calmer for the time being and still had the upper hand.

That is, until Envy aimed a blow toward where Elysia was. Too startled to move, the little girl probably would have been severely injured had Maes not taken the hit last minute, throwing Envy to the side so that he hit a wall and telling his daughter, "Get out of here, Elysia! It's not safe!"

Elysia grabbed her father's leg. "I won't leave you, Daddy – I don't want to lose you again!"

Maes knelt down in front of Elysia and hugged her tightly as Envy pushed himself up easily from his position against the wall. "I'll be okay. He can't hurt me as easily as he could hurt you. But I don't want you to get hurt either, and if you stay next to me right now, you will be hurt. So please, go stand over there, where it's safe.

"Okay, Daddy, but please be careful," Elysia replied nervously, walking slowly over to where Roy and company stood, completely helpless as the two homunculi dueled.

"You're not even trying, Pride," Envy taunted. "You're only on the defensive. How many lives must I have taken by now? Is it five, or is it six? Either way, in your old age, you must not have many more left. Meanwhile, you haven't even attempted to strike me once."

"You're just lucky I used my last knife earlier, Envy," Maes responded. "Your taunting isn't going to work."

"Oh?" Envy cocked his head. "Well then, maybe this _will_." Before Maes could react, Envy grabbed his arms and began swinging him in a circular manner around the room. A small insect looking on from above might have commented that he looked at that point like one of the spokes of a wagon wheel. But, all personified bugs aside, Envy did not swing him for long before unceremoniously letting go and letting Maes fly into a corner and crash against the wall. Maes pushed himself up weakly, tasting a slight bit of blood as he coughed slightly.

"I won't… let you hurt my family," he insisted, panting heavily.

"This next blow should finish you," Envy said as he advanced. "It's too bad, Pride. I wanted to have a little bit more fun with you before your demise, but with the circumstances, I'm afraid I have no choice. Good bye." He smiled in a sickeningly sweet manner before beginning the final swing. Elysia couldn't watch as Envy brought his arm down…

…and hit it against something metal, creating a loud, reverberating clanging sound.

"I thought I told you… not to get yourself mixed up in this…" Maes struggled to say.

Alphonse replied calmly, "Sorry, Mr. Hughes, but I just couldn't let you die on us again." He then stated to Envy, "If you want to hurt any one of the Hughes family, you're going to have to get through me first."

"And me," Ed continued, walking forward to join his brother. "We've had to experience Mr. Hughes' death once. It would just be too much to see it happen again and do nothing."

"You'll have to get past me as well," Roy then stated, walking toward the Elric brothers. "And, while I don't pretend to underestimate your fighting ability, I've heard that this 'Father' person of yours needs the three of us alive. You could kill us and get to Hughes, but I don't think your 'Father' would be very happy about that. But, if you think it's worth it…"

Envy stared dumbstruck before replying, "Well well, Pride, guess I can't kill you today. But later, when you and your family are alone and don't have your alchemist friends to help you, I'll be back, and I won't be this merciful." He then leapt out the window, leaving a string of cursing in his wake. You'd probably be angry too, had you been just about to accomplish your goal had it not been for the few people you weren't allowed to hurt getting in the way.

* * *

Several hours later, Gracia had more or less recovered from her shock and was helping Maes to heal. Being a homunculus, his regeneration rate was higher than your average human's, but he had still lost a lot of strength in that battle. He didn't doubt that, had Envy's final blow hit, he would have, in fact, died, this time for good.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Roy asked. "Envy said it himself, he's going to come back and attempt to kill you all again."

"I really hate to say it," Maes replied, "but Envy's initial plan of getting you out of the country sounds like your only option. He can't follow you there easily, and once you're outside the borders, you'll be able to settle just about anywhere and stay safe from the homunculi."

Ed and Al looked at each other, the former saying, "Yeah, I've been out east. That area is nice. And, as the Colonel would probably point out, there are a lot of really nice, intelligent women out there that would make excellent teachers and role models for Elysia." Obviously, they were referring to Maria Ross, but they still couldn't say her name aloud for fear of being overheard.

"Wait, Daddy," Elysia asked. "You keep referring to only Mommy and me. Aren't you coming too?"

Maes averted his gaze. "That depends, Elysia. That depends on what your mother thinks. I've been away for a long time, and although unintentional, I did break an important promise I made – that I would live amnesiac with you forever before leaving to regain my previous identity."

Gracia merely smiled sweetly and shook her head. "You didn't break your promise, Maes. You came home, even if not right away, and that's what matters. I just don't want you to leave ever again."

Maes' eyes began to water. "Oh Gracia, Elysia… I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be sorry, Maes…"

"Daddy…"

The three of them then embraced, tears streaming down every cheek.

* * *

It took about a week for everything to be finalized, but finally the Hughes family left their home in Central and took a train to Risembul. They only took a suitcase apiece full of clothing and other absolute essentials – in subsequent visits, Roy had promised to bring them one portion of their belongings at a time. When they arrived at Risembul Station, Ran Fan and Mr. Han were already there, waiting to escort the family out of the country; Ran Fan's excuse for helping out was that she owed Pride for the letters that he had delivered to her young master.

Each adult rode their own horse through the desert, although Elysia rode on the same one as her father. Generally, they rode through the desert during the night and early hours of the morning, and took breaks during the especially hot hours of the day, in order to save the horses' strength.

Pretty soon, they made it past the Amestrian border and were on their way to Xing, where it had been already arranged that the family would meet up with Maria Ross and stay with her until they could acquire their own home.

One of the days, while they were riding, Maes asked, "Elysia, I'm sorry I never got you a birthday gift this year. Things were hectic though, and…"

"It's okay, Daddy," Elysia replied. "You came home, and that's the best gift I think I could have received."

"I never got to actually meet the bird I got you for your birthday last year," Maes said. "How did you like her?"

Elysia smiled. "Mili was a beautiful bird, and she always kept me company when you weren't there, just like you said she would. But she got lonely a lot, and when that mean man attacked us on the street that day, her cage broke open and she flew away. But that's okay, because you came home soon after."

Maes thought this over for a moment before letting out a partial laugh at the irony. _Maybe that Ling kid's comparison between homunculi and pigeons isn't that far off._

* * *

_Author's Note: Wow. Just… wow. It seems like just yesterday I came up with the idea for _Excessive Pride_, and now it's complete. Well, almost, seeing as the epilogue is right after this, but still._

_Thank you so much to everyone who's helped me through this story. That includes all of my reviewers (to date, that would be Stitchicus, JadeiteZ, Papa-to-Asobou, John Locke, lightningstrxu, Naraku's Lover, Mayab, an anonymous person, Serena Kat, manga0904, Malicious-Alchemist, Freddo the Amoeba, No.one.defies.the.master, and Dancing Nightmare) for taking the time out of your busy schedules to leave me a little note saying that you care enough about the story to actually review it._

_Thank you also to all of my friends and family in real life, as well as the frequent posters on the "Fullmetal Alchemist: For the Love of the Manga" thread on GaiaOnline, for putting up with my constant ranting on this topic. I admit, it can get a little excessive at times. (Haha?)_

_Now that this is done, I may or may not actually work on Mages. Updates for that will probably still be very very very slow, as will updates for my other fics that I need to actually continue (what a concept), because there's just this one plot bunny that won't leave me alone. You'll probably see the beginning of it within the next few days – as a hint, it's an alternate universe fic in the Yu-Gi-Oh GX fandom. Not that anyone cares. In fact, people will probably kill me just for attempting to write in that fandom._

_Also, I am still planning to do a Fullmetal Alchemist and Hamlet parody. We just haven't gotten to that in school yet (my teacher has decided to not begin that until spring, the meany), so that will be a while._

_In short, thank you so very much for continuing to put up with and read _Excessive Pride_, and please continue onward to the epilogue, aka the ending in which everyone (other than Envy, our main antagonist) gets a happy ending more or less._


	17. Epilogue

_**Excessive Pride**_

**by BridgitKiido**

**Disclaimer: **_Hagane no Renkinjutsushi_, known in America as _Fullmetal Alchemist_, is the creation of the Japanese manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa. I, meanwhile, am an American of European mutt descent. In short, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do I claim to. (However, unless anything similar occurs in the manga, this story's plot is my idea.)

* * *

. Epilogue .

"Where is he…?" _Father_ paced around the room anxiously. Pride had not returned, even when Envy had been sent to retrieve him. Greed and Wrath had been no help in the matter either – neither of them would admit to anything, but it appeared to _Father_ as though they had been aware of Pride's intentions the entire time.

But _Father_ wasn't upset that Pride had betrayed him or anything like that, like the first Greed had. No, _Father_'s worry was that he had lost his favorite son. Again. And this time, Pride had left of his own free will.

He was only interrupted from his pacing by Greed, who was leaning against the doorway and holding a small envelope in his hand. "_Father_, this came, and I think it's for you."

_Father_ immediately took the envelope from Greed's hand, opened it, and removed the letter inside. One quick glance later, he realized that it was from Pride.

_Dear _Father

_I am sorry to have to leave you like this, especially after the events of the last fifteen years. Please know that I have not, to my knowledge, betrayed your intentions, nor do they intend to. The humans know nothing more of your plans, nor will they learn anything from me._

_I have left Amestris. I will not be returning until after both my wife and daughter have passed away; do not attempt to bring me back before I am ready. When I do return, feel free to do with me as you see fit._

_Please go easily on Greed, Wrath, and their human companions. Neither of them are involved in my leaving Amestris at all, I'm certain that Wrath is as protective of his wife and son, Selim, as I am of Gracia and Elysia, and Greed would probably kill whoever wished to harm a certain girl. Or at least, his other half would._

_In closing, I'll simply say, see you later._

_-Pride._

_P.S. Please tell Envy that the next time he tries to kill someone by pushing them off a cliff, he should check the bottom of said cliff to make sure they are actually dead before leaving the scene._

Father smiled in a forlorn way at Pride's words before scowling at the post script. So Envy was the one who caused this entire mess, hmm? The monstrous homunculus would have to have a stern talking to…

* * *

"98…99…100. Ready or not, here I come, Daddy!"

It had been twelve years since the Hughes family had finally been reunited and had left Amestris. A year after that, they had put together enough money to purchase a small farm in the western portion of Xing. Nothing particularly luxurious, but it provided enough for the small family to live on. Elysia had grown into quite the beautiful woman of sixteen, although she continued to keep her blond hair in pigtails. Right now, she and her father were having a little bit of fun, playing hide and seek. Specifically, Maes was hiding, and Elysia was seeking.

Elysia looked around for a moment before noticing exactly what she wanted to notice. Then, walking slowly in what appeared to be a random direction, she stopped in front of the shed and said, "Daddy, you're cheating again. You're not supposed to turn invisible."

A sigh could be heard coming from the shed's wall as Maes became visible, leaning against the wall. "But you can find me anyway, so why is it cheating?"

Elysia laughed and leapt onto her father. "You're so silly, Daddy."

Maes laughed as well. "Come on, let's go get ready. Everyone will be here soon."

And thus, the two of them walked, hand in hand, back to the house, where Gracia, only wiser with age, was arranging the table. It wasn't every day, after all, when they were having guests over. Upon arriving at the porch, Maes immediately insisted upon helping his wife with the preparations, although she insisted that she could in fact handle them herself. Elysia also offered to help, but her aid was politely declined; after all, she was the birthday girl.

Fairly soon after that, people began to arrive at the Hughes' house. The first person to arrive was Maria Ross, who lived only a few minutes away by horse. Both Maes and Gracia had been very surprised the first time they had met her in Xing, as she had been to see them, but explanations on both sides had been quick and easy. Ever since then, "Aunt Maria" had been there as an extra female role model for Elysia.

Next to arrive were the Elric Brothers. Both of them had managed to retrieve their bodies – Maes never asked how, and that's probably a good thing. Alphonse was now a stunning young man whose caring nature was now apparent in his appearance, rather than being hidden behind a cold shell of steel. Edward, meanwhile, had become quite stunning, as well as significantly taller than he had been (Maes actually teased him slightly about this, and Edward merely attempted not to strangle the man). While Alphonse was still single (although rumor had it that he and a princess of Xing were seen together on multiple occasions), Edward had quickly settled down and married Winry Rockbell, whose first reaction to seeing Maes alive was to hit her husband on the head with a wrench and reprimand him for not telling her about this sooner.

The next guests to show up were Roy and Riza Mustang, happily married, along with former Fuhrer King Bradley. Later, Bradley's story to Maes would be that his body had aged so much that he found himself unable to remain in office; therefore, he allowed Mustang to succeed to the throne as long as he was to remain a key advisor. Selim also came along for Elysia's party – the two of them had become pen pals after the Hughes family left Amestris, and they had become good friends through their letters.

Ling Yao was the final guest to arrive, shadowed by Ran Fan. He had eventually suppressed Greed and claimed not only his body, but the throne of Emperor of Xing. He was rarely seen, however, without Ran Fan, his favorite advisor-slash-body-guard. Technically, she was not his consort, but one was rarely ever seen without the other, and neither of them wanted that to change.

The party was a simple one – the Hughes family, not being particularly wealthy, did not have the resources to make it an especially flamboyant affair – but it was good enough, and Elysia was happy, which was all that Maes cared about.

Maes did, however, manage to catch Ling alone for a few minutes and said, over glasses of genuine fruit punch, "So, everyone here's got pretty much everything they could ever want. I'm glad everything turned out well."

Ling smiled and replied, "Yup, everything's turned out for the best. But Wrath may not be around for much longer, you know." When he received a cocked head in response, he continued, "Didn't you know? Wrath and I, we may be homunculi (well, in my case, half way), but we're certainly not immortal. Sooner or later, our bodies are going to age, and we will die of natural causes. But that's okay – I actually like that better. I can live out my natural life span with Ran Fan, and then I can die with her."

Maes sighed. "In that way, I think you have it lucky. You don't have to suffer as people you love die around you – you'll die at some point, just like them."

"What will you do?" Ling asked. "Once your family is gone, that is."

"I don't quite know. I'll definitely go back to see _Father_, but I don't know what he'll do with me once I get back there. He may kill me, or he may decide to torture me and keep me alive. Either way, it'll be out of my hands."

Their conversation was cut short, however, by Gracia announcing, "It's time to cut the cake, everyone!"

Nobody, of course, wanted to miss out on any of Gracia Hughes' cooking in general, let alone her fabulous desserts.

* * *

While everyone was eating the cake and congratulating Elysia on her sixteenth birthday, Gracia found a seat next to where Maes sat alone.

"We've been through so much together," she began. "Ever since you floated right down the river, without a single memory."

"Yeah," Maes replied. "We sure have been through a lot."

"Do you remember the night you proposed to me? It was such a beautiful night. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world."

"And I felt like the luckiest man, having won your hand in marriage."

Gracia turned to Maes. "If you could go back to any time since then and change anything, would you?"

"Well," Maes replied, "I'd start by not leaving you after getting shot in the phone booth."

Gracia laughed. "Other than that, Maes."

Maes thought for a moment, but was interrupted as Elysia and Selim dashed over to their table and said excitedly, "Come see, come see!"

"What is it?" Maes wondered as he and Gracia stood up and followed the two of them to what they had found. And their discovery was by no means unspectacular – the two of them had discovered a birds' nest in a nearby pear tree, in which a family of white doves had settled. The parents were, at that moment, feeding the baby birds tiny worms picked fresh from the garden.

"Mili settled close to us, Daddy!" Elysia replied, smiling. "She made a family just like ours."

Deciding not to point out the obvious fact that bird life spans were significantly shorter than those of humans and that Mili had probably died several years prior, Maes and Gracia just nodded and smiled.

A slight breeze picked up, blowing Gracia's hair gently out of her face as Maes turned back to her. "If I could change anything other than that, hmm? In that case…

"I wouldn't change a thing."

_The End_


End file.
